It is very resistant to fire and too-frequent burning is one of the main causes of its increase. Harrington (1974) found that a late burn in the long dry season (usually late August in Uganda) carried out every third year reduced the biomass of C. nardus and encouraged the somewhat better, associated grasses of Brachiaria decumbens, Themeda triandra and Hyparrhenia filipendula. The burn should be against the wind and in weather which would minimize fire temperatures. This would prune the undesirable associated shrub Acacia hockii. Annual burning reduces the size of the C. nardus plants, but does not improve the sward.