Plans being finalized for prescribed burn at Enders

    A prescribed fire exercise is scheduled for Saturday, April 3, at Enders Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA) in Chase County.
    Portions of the SRA will be closed temporarily to public access during the exercise that day, according to Game & Parks officials.
    The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department is conducting the training, along with other area volunteer fire departments, the Nebraska State Fire Marshall’s Training Division, Nebraska State Forest Service and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Other departments also will assist and train.
    Beau Licking, Game and Parks superintendent at Enders and Rock Creek, said about 420 acres will be burned on the north side of the lake in the Area B/Enders Bay campground.
    The objectives are to reduce the wildfire potential on the SRA, lessen the risk of wildfire to the town of Enders, train local fire departments and Game and Parks staff and control eastern red cedar and invasive species, Game and Parks officials said.
    The temporarily closed portions of the SRA during the burn will be the Center Dam campground, Area B campground, No Name Bay and Crappie Bay.
    Limited access may be required into the private cabin area, as well, depending on conditions, Licking said.
    Access to Church Grove campground and Cow Beach Day Use Area will be via 335 Avenue from Highway 6, east of Imperial.
    Road 733 will be closed from the town of Enders west to Cow Beach Day Use Area. Access to the main area campground will be available at the main entrance off Highway 61.
    Users of open areas of the SRA may encounter light to moderate smoke. Access in those areas could be restricted if smoke levels are determined to be unsafe, he added.
    The acres scheduled to be burned, directly south of the town of Enders, are the same ones that were to be removed last year at this time. COVID concerns cancelled last year’s original date and its backup date.