Portion of Lower Buffalo Wilderness to Close for Prescribed Burn

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The National Park Service will be conducting a prescribed burn in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness in Marion County, Arkansas between February 22 and March 23. To ensure public safety, a large portion of the wilderness area will be closed to horse and foot traffic during this time, though the river corridor will remain open for canoes and john boats.

Why it matters

Prescribed burns are an important forest management tool used to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires by clearing out dead and downed fuels. This burn is part of the National Park Service's efforts to restore fire as a natural ecological process within the Buffalo National River area.

The details

The prescribed burn will take place on approximately 11,284 acres of public land within the Lower Buffalo Wilderness Prescribed Fire Unit. The closure area includes lands north of the Buffalo River, bounded on the north by the park boundary between Cedar Creek and the White River, and on the south by the Buffalo River. The burn is expected to take 8-12 days to complete and may require multiple burn periods to take advantage of suitable weather conditions.

• The closure will be in effect from February 22 to March 23, 2026.
• The actual ignition dates will depend on favorable weather conditions.