Wheaton in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
No Need to Fear Fire
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 6, 2026
1. No Need to Fear Fire Marker
The 5,000 Year War
The slowest war you'll ever experience is going on right in front of you. The forest and prairie have been battling over turf for thousands of years. Before the first European settlers, fires would often sweep across the landscape. These fires were ignited by lightening, or by Native Americans, who used fire to clear the way for hunting, travel, or better visibility. Over time prairie plants learned to take the heat and, in fact, flourished after a fire. Many of the forest plants could not stand their ground in these conditions, so when the summers were very dry, the fires burned fiercely and the prairie charged forward. When the rain was steady, the forest dug in and the prairie retreated. Back and forth, the battle lines changed.
The Battle Continues
Last century people began stopping fires for fear of their own safety and neither prairie nor forest benefited. Without the fire to hold them at bay, non-native plants moved to town and endangered both ecosystems. The Wheaton Park District has been carefully bringing fire back into the mix, to control the spread of non-native plants and let the ancient
this page online
Erected by Wheaton Park District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 41° 52.429′ N, 88° 7.5′ W. Marker is in Wheaton, Illinois, in DuPage County. It can be reached from Illinois Prairie Path, on the right when traveling east. The marker is in Lincoln Marsh Natural Area, on the Prairie Loop trail. It's about a 250-yard hike east from the parking area at Harrison Street, and about 175-yard hike from the Prairie Path. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wheaton IL 60187, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 6, 2026
2. No Need to Fear Fire Marker
More about this marker. The marker shows some sign of wear on the edges but is easy to read.
Also see . . .
1. Lincoln Marsh official site. (Submitted on January 6, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Lincoln Marsh: Conservation & Prescribed Burns. (Submitted on January 7, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 6, 2026
3. No Need to Fear Fire Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 61 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 6, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
