National Park Service ends moratorium on prescribed fires.(Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON _ The National Park Service has ended its moratorium on the use of prescribed fires on federal lands and is allowing park superintendents to resume the controversial practice within established guidelines, officials said Wednesday.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore plans to set four such fires next month, starting with one in the Miller Woods section of Gary, Ind.

"The earliest would be Nov. 1," said Indiana Dunes spokesman Al Nash, "though the exact date will have to be determined by weather conditions."

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt made the decision to drop the moratorium late last month at the request of the Park Service, said …