Community Corner

VIDEO: Smoke Fills the Sky Over Kent State Campus

Annual prairie burn conducted by Kent Fire Department, university fire officials

Motorists may have been alarmed, but the massive column of smoke that filled the sky over the campus Friday afternoon was not an emergency.

Officials with the and Kent State's fire safety department set fire to the dried prairie grasses around the Kent State University and Child Development Center Friday.

Kent State spokesperson Emily Vincent said the controlled burns are held each year for maintenance.

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"The burn doesn’t damage the plants as the roots are protected deep under the earth," she said. "Instead, the fire clears away dead leaves and stems, allowing growth for summer."

The burn lasted less than 20 minutes and attracted a small crowd.

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