Web Extra!

It's likely a part of Lindberg Park will be closed Thursday so that a heavily weeded area there can be set on fire.

This attempt to beat back invasive plant species, called a controlled burn, has never been used by the Oak Park Park District, according to Henrietta Yardley, manager of the Oak Park Conservatory. But the weeds at Lindberg have simply become too much, Yardley says. The park district does not use herbicides, she says, and attempts by volunteers and landscapers to remove the weeds by hand haven't worked.

The fire - assuming weather conditions are right - will be set by the village's fire department and limited to the prairie trial gardens within the park. The targeted area is surrounded by concrete sidewalks and grass. Firefighters will, of course, be on hand to manage the flames.

"We're just trying it to see if we can get rid of some of the invasive weeds," Yardley said, referring to the controlled burn. The affected area is expected to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the first flames likely won't be touched off until about noon.

The public is welcome to visit Lindberg Park, on Greenfield between Marion and Woodbine streets, and watch the burn from a safe distance, according to the park district's Web site.

Wind conditions are the primary variable that will determine whether the burn takes place.

According to Yardley, such use of fire to keep local parks healthy could become a common practice if this effort is successful.

CONTACT: jadams@wjinc.com