Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Forests and Rangelands Success Story

Civil War Battlefield Burns by Prescription in the 21st Century
Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2008

Field cannon.
A cannon helps frame the sight of the fields after the burn.

The burn crew poses in the recently burned, but now cold, field.
The burn crew poses in the recently burned, but now cold, field.

A firefighter spreads fire with a drip torch.
A firefighter "drags" fire to help keep the historic field a field.

All photos by Barb Stewart.

In spring 2008, there was another kind of fire at the site of Civil War General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North. The National Park Service (NPS) used fire to help restore part of the historic scene at Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland. On March 25 and April 3 a total of 32 acres were burned in a prescribed fire at Otto Farm. Antietam is the first park within the NPS National Capital Region to implement a prescribed fire program, which also includes pile burning and mechanical reduction.

The long-term goal for Otto Farm is to maintain the historic landscape of native warm-season grasses on the plateau and some hardwoods in the valley. The prescribed fire burned thatches of dead cool season grasses that had built up and reduced the fuel load along the tour road and trail system. Cedar debris piles and some standing cedar also burned.

The first priority of the prescribed fire was safety, and the operations concluded with no injuries. In addition, everyone had a learning experience and several trainees completed specific tasks towards certification. At the end of each day, the firefighters could be honestly proud of their work. This time, fire on the ground at Antietam was not accompanied by bloodshed.

Contact: Barb Stewart, Northeast and National Capital Regions, Fire Communication and Education Specialist, (434) 220-9065.