FYI from Westminster Place resident Ann Kitlaus and forwarded to me by Alderman Lyda Krewson: In case you haven’t heard about this fire activity today near Lindell and Union entrance to park.

St. Louis firefighters will monitor controlled burn in Forest Park today

ST. LOUIS • Don't panic if you spot Forest Park on fire today.

The city and Forest Park Forever plan a controlled burn of a prairie in the Deer Lake Natural Area of the park. The St. Louis Fire Department will be there to keep an eye on the burn.

Forest Park Forever and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry will conduct the burn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A smaller test burn will take place at 9:30 a.m.

At least 14 acres of the 24-acre wet savannah area will be burned by DJM Ecological Services. The burn will rid the area of thick brush to help maintain the vitality and health of the savannahs and prairies better than mowing or taking no action, officials said.

The burn area is east of the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor Center on Grand Drive in Forest Park at the intersection of Confederate Drive and Grand Drive, near the Spanish Cannon*.

"We have a lot of invasive species in that area," said Jasmine Evans, a spokeswoman for Forest Park Forever.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-firefighters-will-monitor-controlled-burn-in-forest-park/article_30c75ad0-1c79-11e1-9bda-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1fOJVd3ym

*Glad I have a chance to use this photo of what I assume is the Spanish cannon taken a couple of weeks ago (before the break!). Send any pictures of the burn my way and I'll post them.