“Parks Canada Conducts Prescribed Burns in Riding Mountain National Park”

Each spring, Parks Canada conducts prescribed burns in Riding Mountain National Park to prevent wildfires. Scott Bryer, the park’s fire management officer, explained that crews strategically burn areas like open grasslands before the forest to contain the fire. This year’s burn is near Lake Audy in the park’s southwest corner. The goal is to reduce the risk of high-intensity fires by clearing excess fuel and protect the endangered fescue grasslands. Maintaining and expanding the grasslands is crucial as they cover only a small portion of the park. So far, about 1,700 hectares have been burned, with a focus on preventing hot spots. The next phase, burning in the forest, is pending a weather assessment. Assistant fire management officer Melanie Robinson emphasized the importance of controlled burns for ecosystem health and natural landscape regeneration. In addition to firefighting efforts, the park’s team maintains the townsite and park areas for fire prevention year-round. Robinson stressed the need for ongoing fire prevention to safeguard the park’s beauty and prevent devastating wildfires seen in other parts of Canada in recent years.