OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Apr. 30, 2026) – If you see some flames and smoke coming out of several Ottawa County parks this weekend, don’t be alarmed.
The county’s Parks & Recreation department has planned a series of prescribed burns at select locations, depending on weather conditions. Trained staffers will be torching around five acres at Grand River Park in the early afternoon on Friday; between five and 10 acres at Stearns Creek South in the late morning through mid-afternoon on Saturday; and about 10 acres at Eastmanville Farm early on Sunday afternoon.
Local fire crews will be on standby in all three situations, and while those parks will remain open during these operations, sections of some trails may be temporarily closed during these burns. The flames are expected to help in grassland and oak barrens restoration by reducing woody plant growth, controlling invasive species, returning nutrients to the soil, and promoting native grasses and wildflowers.
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