Lehigh Gap Nature Center is planning a one-day prescribed fire today.

The fire, dependent on weather, will encompass a 20-acre section of the grassland and be visible from Palmerton and from Route 248, just above the old Lehigh and New England Railroad bed.

Area volunteer firefighters will be on hand to ensure that the fire does not escape its boundary area.

The fire will only be conducted when westerly winds are blowing to ensure that the fire cannot spread toward houses several miles to the west in East Penn Township.

To effectively manage the prairie grasses, the center, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, tested prescribed fire as a management tool in 2013. A smoke study found that none of the metals that contaminate the soil was found in any smoke outside of the refuge boundaries.

Call the Center at 610-760-8889 before coming to the refuge to hike.