Protecting Historic Buildings From Wildfire at Sleeping Bear Dunes and St. Croix

In spring 2022, wildland firefighters from the Great Lakes Fire Management Zone, based at Indiana Dunes National Park, set out to protect historic buildings in two Midwest parks by creating defensible space around them:

Both historic and non-historic administrative buildings got the treatment.

What defensible space is

In a wildfire, vegetation is fuel. Creating defensible space means cutting back those hazardous fuels close to a building, in two tiers — an approach called FireWise landscaping:

The barn at Bournique Farm on North Manitou Island, before fuels reduction. NPS

The same barn afterward, with about 30 feet of cleared space and thinned vegetation beyond. NPS

On the Manitou Islands

Crews spent 12 days on North and South Manitou Islands, which have no permanent fire protection staff — making it vital to keep a wildfire from becoming a structure fire. The islands once held U.S. lifesaving stations, figure in the settlement of the Great Lakes by French fur traders and loggers, and hold cultural and historic ties for Native Americans. They are the bear cubs of the Legend of Sleeping Bear.

Keeping it up

With the heavy work done, maintenance staff and volunteers at both parks can keep the space clear through regular mowing and maintenance. Reducing wildfire risk to historic buildings — while preserving their cultural landscapes — is one way the NPS carries out its mission to keep the park system's resources unimpaired for future generations.

For protecting your own home, see the National Fire Protection Association's guide to preparing homes for wildfire.

Sources

Based on "Protecting Historic Structures from Wildfire in the Midwest," National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.