A collaborative effort between personnel at Fort McCoy and the U.S. Forest Service resulted in a highly productive 2026 prescribed burn season, with crews completing approximately 95 percent of planned fuel-reduction operations across the installation while strengthening a growing interagency partnership.
The spring burn season concluded April 22 after beginning March 24 on North Post training ranges. Operations were conducted in phases throughout the season, with crews taking advantage of favorable weather, humidity, and ground conditions to safely and effectively carry out burns.
The effort brought together dozens of personnel, including Fort McCoy Fire Department crews, Directorate of Public Works environmental staff, and U.S. Forest Service fire specialists.
Despite a delayed start to the season, officials say the overall outcome reflects both strong coordination and adaptability among the participating teams.
Wildlife Biologist Kevin Luepke, with Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch, said the season demonstrated the effectiveness of collaboration, even as crews adjusted to new working relationships.
“I feel the collaboration went well,” Luepke said. “The late start was definitely not ideal, but we were able to complete 95 percent of the annual fuel reduction burns through the spring.”
The 2026 season marked an expansion of Fort McCoy’s partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, including the use of rotating burn bosses and crews. While that rotation introduced some initial uncertainty, it also provided valuable exposure to different leadership styles, operational approaches, and wildfire response practices.
“There was a bit more anticipation and stress working with new U.S. Forest Service crew members who rotated every week or two,” Luepke said. “But that was likely by design, helping crews become more comfortable working with different teams. Now that the Forest Service has a year of burning under their belt at McCoy, future operations should be even smoother—especially if we see some of the same personnel return.”
Natural Resources Specialist Jessica Salesman, also with the Natural Resources Branch, said the experience highlighted the importance of flexibility and shared learning in interagency operations.
“It was a learning experience for everyone involved — the Forest Service personnel as well,” Salesman said. “There’s always some level of stress when starting something new, but overall, it went well. It’s beneficial to work with people who bring different experiences and training to the table, and I look forward to continuing that collaboration in the future.”
While the majority of fuel-reduction objectives were achieved, Luepke noted there was limited opportunity to complete ecological burns this spring due to timing and environmental conditions. However, he emphasized that the shortfall was not related to the partnership itself and remains an area for potential expansion in future burn seasons.
Prescribed fire continues to play a dual role at Fort McCoy, supporting both military readiness and long-term environmental stewardship. By removing accumulated vegetation such as leaves, grasses, pine needles, and woody debris, burns reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires and help maintain safe, realistic training environments for Soldiers.
At the same time, prescribed burning is essential to sustaining the installation’s native ecosystems, many of which are inherently fire-dependent.
“The habitat here is fire-dependent,” Luepke said. “Oak savannas, pine barrens, and prairie systems all evolved with periodic fire. Without it, you start to see fire-intolerant species become more dominant, which changes the entire landscape.”
Certain plant species rely directly on fire for reproduction. Luepke pointed to jack pine and wild lupine as examples, noting that some seeds require heat from fire to open cones or break protective coatings, allowing germination to occur.
Prescribed burning also serves as an effective tool for managing invasive species, which are often less tolerant of fire. By reducing invasive plant populations and limiting seed spread, burns help preserve native biodiversity. In some cases, fire also supports biological control efforts by exposing soil conditions necessary for beneficial insects to complete their life cycles.
The ecological benefits extend to wildlife across Fort McCoy. The fresh regrowth following a burn produces nutrient-rich vegetation that is highly attractive to grazing animals such as deer, while also providing essential habitat for birds, pollinators, and small mammals.
“The regrowth after a prescribed burn is highly preferred by wildlife,” Luepke said. “You see an increase in nectar-producing plants for butterflies, improved nesting cover for birds, and more available browse for deer.”
Even trees affected by fire contribute to the ecosystem over time. Damaged or dead trees can become valuable habitats for woodpeckers and other cavity-nesting species, including bats, raccoons, squirrels, and wood ducks, Luepke noted.
In addition to ecological improvements, prescribed fire helps return nutrients to the soil, Luepke said. The ash produced during burns contains potassium and other elements that act as natural fertilizers, promoting healthy plant regrowth and improving soil quality.
There are also potential public health benefits. Fire can reduce tick populations by eliminating them at multiple life stages, which may help decrease the prevalence of tick-borne illnesses in burned areas, Luepke said.
Throughout the season, all prescribed burns were carefully planned and monitored to ensure safety and effectiveness. Temporary closures were implemented when necessary, and operations were adjusted in real time based on environmental conditions.
As Fort McCoy looks to future burn seasons, officials expect continued refinement of procedures and even stronger coordination with U.S. Forest Service partners.
“Overall, I think it was a success,” Luepke said. “We learned a lot this year, and that will help us build an even better program moving forward.”
Each spring, the sight of smoke rising over Fort McCoy’s training ranges represents more than a routine land management practice—it signals renewal, resilience, and a sustained commitment to balancing military mission requirements with environmental responsibility.
“Fire promotes renewal,” Luepke said. “It keeps these systems functioning the way they’re supposed to.”
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: |
04.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
04.30.2026 23:50 |
| Story ID: |
564067 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
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This work, Fire for a purpose: Fort McCoy’s 2026 prescribed burn season marks strong collaboration, results, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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