Tinley Park firefighters responded to a brush fire about noon Wednesday on the 6100 block of Oak Forest Avenue, in the Cook County Forest Preserve, said Kristopher Dunn, deputy fire chief administrator.
The fire was under control by about 1:30 p.m., Dunn said. The Forest Preserve and eight other nearby fire departments also responded. Fire damage left fallen trees and leaves, he said.
Stacina Stagner, communications manager at Forest Preserves of Cook County, said her team initially estimated the fire affected five acres of the forest preserves, but after a more thorough check Thursday morning they said it affected 10.3 acres.
She said the fire did not affect any official trails.
The cause of the fire was undetermined as of Thursday morning, but Stagner said area conditions were susceptible to fire Wednesday morning, with a lot of dry fuel on the ground, such as leaf litter and other brush.
Dunn said the Tinley Park area experienced critical fire weather conditions Tuesday that carried into Wednesday.
He advised caution for residents when discarding cigarettes or putting out fires. He said most brush fires are preventable and caused by careless burning.
“Due to dry conditions and forecasted winds, people should definitely use extreme caution with any outdoor burning activities,” Dunn said.
The area has experienced other winter brush fires in recent years. In January 2025, a fire burned for two hours and consumed more than 30 acres of Cook County Forest Preserve. Fifteen fire departments responded to that fire at Bobolink Meadow, near Central Avenue and Flossmoor Road.
Stagner said the Forest Preserves plans to begin prescribed burns, which she said are usually planned for the spring and fall seasons and are an ecological tool to help mitigate wildfires.
These prescribed fires help control invasive shrubs and trees while promoting germination in native plants that have adapted to benefit from fire, according to the Forest Preserves website. Without fire, buckthorn, honeysuckle and other aggressive nonnative species will spread across habitats and shade out native plants, the website said.
Stagner said the spring prescribed burns help warm the ground so wildflowers and different habitats can have a jump start on the growth season.
She said these burns are highly scientific and consider all types of conditions before burning, such as moisture levels and wind direction. She said the preserve prohibits people from trying their own prescribed burns.
More information about the prescribed burns is available at fpdcc.com/nature/prescribed-burning.
awright@chicagotribune.com
