Starting next week you might see smoke coming from some parkland areas in Ramsey County as officials begin a round of controlled burns in prairies and woodlands.

Says the county:

The prescribed burns are controlled fires that are used to improve the growth of native vegetation, including shrubs, grasses and wildflowers. The fires also help control weeds and other undesirable plants. Fire is a natural process that helped form the prairies and woodlands in the state. Our controlled burns mimic that process under safe conditions.

Staff won't conduct the burns, though, if wind conditions will send lots of smoke into residential areas. And the vegetation must be dry but not too dry. That means the exact times of the burns can't be forecast too far ahead.

County parks on the burn list for this year are:

Battle Creek and Bald Eagle regional parks; Lake Gervais, Tony Schmidt, and Lake Josephine county parks; Keller and Goodrich golf courses and Rice Creek North Regional Trail Corridor.

The burns range in size from under an acre to more than 50 acres.