Fire
Elk Island National Park
Fire is a natural process that helps to renew and recycle many types of Canadian ecosystems including the aspen parkland of Elk Island National Park, the ecosystem where prairie grassland meets aspen forest.
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Prescribed fires
Parks Canada recognises the impact of the legacy of fire suppression including the exclusion of Indigenous cultural fire use. We are working to restore the role of fire and of Indigenous fire practitioners in Elk Island National Park.
Parks Canada does prescribed fires at Elk Island National Park to help maintain and restore ecological integrity and biodiversity, to promote ecosystem conservation and restoration, and to reduce the risk of wildfire to nearby communities. Safety is always the top priority when planning prescribed fire.
Prescribed fire operations will only be conducted when predetermined weather and site conditions are met.
Visit the important bulletins page for area closures and important bulletins.
Hayburger Prescribed Fire
Window: Spring/Fall
Size: 472 ha.
Location: The area inside of the Hayburger Hiking trail loop: North of the Bison Loop on the east side of the parkway.
Additional details: The Hayburger prescribed fire contributes to increasing grassland and native vegetation, improving grazing for ungulates and restoring the natural fire cycle.
Hayburger prescribed fire unit in Elk Island National Park — Text version
This map shows the Hayburger prescribed fire unit in Elk Island National Park.
The map has a legend in the top right corner and a scale of 0 to 1000 m in the bottom right. The inset in the bottom left depicts the entire park.
The unit is located centrally to the east of the parkway north of the Bison Loop and contains the area inside of the Hayburger Hiking trail loop.
Shirley Lake Prescribed Fire
Date: Spring/Fall
Size: 928 ha
Location: Northwest corner of the park in the Shirley Lake area
Additional details: The Shirley Lake prescribed fire contributes to the restoration of grassland habitat in the area by returning the process of fire to the landscape.
Shirley Lake prescribed fire units in Elk Island National Park — Text version
This map shows the Shirley Lake prescribed fire units in Elk Island National Park.
The map has a legend in the top left corner and a scale of 0 to 1000 m in the bottom right. The inset on the left of the map depicts the entire park.
The units are located on the northwest side of the park, north of Oster Lake. The Southwest Unit is smaller and contains Shirley Lake. The Central Unit is larger and borders the Elk Island Parkway.
South Block Prescribed Fire
Date: Spring/Fall
Size: 72 ha, made up by two units: Unit A (58 ha) and Unit B (14 ha)
Location: South of highway 16 in two areas; along the western boundary of the park and along the northern boundary of the park near Wood Bison trail.
Additional details: The prescribed fire contributes to the restoration of open meadows and grassland. Prescribed fire is used to return the natural process of fire to the landscape, thereby reducing the presence of shrubby vegetation and encouraging re-growth of grassland plants in wood bison habitat.
South Block prescribed fire Unit A at Elk Island National Park — Text version
This map shows the South Block prescribed fire Unit A at Elk Island National Park.
The map has a legend and a scale of 0 to 1 km in the top right. The inset on the top left of the map depicts the entire park.
Unit A is located in the South Block of the park along the western boundary of the park bordering Range Road 210, north of Walter Lake.
South Block prescribed fire Unit B at Elk Island National Park — Text version
This map shows the South Block prescribed fire Unit B at Elk Island National Park.
The map has a legend and a scale of 0 to 1 km in the top right. The inset on the top left of the map depicts the entire park.
Unit B is located in the South Block of the park north of the bison loop trail bordering Highway 16.
Benefits of Fire
Fire creates openings in the forest, allowing soil to warm and stimulating new growth from seeds and roots, gives native trees and plants an opportunity to get established and can help stop the spread of disease and invasive plants and insects.
Wildfire Prevention
Parks Canada is an active member of FireSmart™ Canada. FireSmart™ Canada is a community protection program. The program focuses on how individuals and communities can work together to reduce the risk of loss from wildfires in communities across Canada. Learn more here.
Human-caused fires are preventable. All visitors play an important role in helping us stop wildfires before they start. You can safely enjoy a campfire in Elk Island National Park by following these guidelines.
Report any wildfires, illegal campfires or suspicious smoke to Parks Canada Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100 or call 911.
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