The National Park Service has announced plans to conduct a prescribed fire today and tomorrow at Chickamauga Battlefield.
According to park officials, the planned burn will cover approximately 850 acres near Viniard-Alexander Road, east of LaFayette Road and west of Alexander Bridge Road. The affected areas include West Viniard Alexander, Central Viniard Alexander, East Viniard Alexander and Brotherton East. There is also the potential for an additional burn in Brotherton North, located east of LaFayette Road and north of Brotherton Road.
Park officials said this is the third of five prescribed burns scheduled over the next several years.
The burns are designed to restore, protect and maintain historic and cultural landscapes, support fire-adapted plant communities, reduce hazardous fuel buildup, eliminate invasive woody and exotic plant species, and promote suitable conditions for limestone glade communities.
Assisting with the operation are the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, along with firefighters from Catoosa and Walker counties.
During the prescribed fire, several roads will be temporarily restricted, including Viniard-Alexander Road between LaFayette Road and Alexander’s Bridge Road, Alexander’s Bridge Road between Brotherton Road and the bridge, and Jay’s Mill Road south of Brotherton Road.