
Holly Skalak of Zimmerman, an employee of Prairie Restorations, ignites patches of grassland around Sartell City Hall with a small torch and watches carefully as the areas burn April 19.

Plumes of smoke and the crackling sounds of fire rise into the air surrounding Sartell City Hall April 19. The city hired a company to perform a controlled burn of the prairie grass surrounding the building. Fire occurs naturally in nature and is part of grassland ecology. From left to right are Skalak and Aaron Soltau of Big Lake. Both work for Prairie Restorations, Princeton.