2024 Prescribed fires

Prince Albert National Park

Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems and plays an important role in the creation of habitat for many plants, animals, and insects. Some ecosystems are fire-adapted – meaning they have evolved with fire. Some of the plant species in these ecosystems require fire for reproduction, growth, and to stay healthy. Fire is a natural process that helps to renew and recycle many types of Canadian ecosystems including the boreal forest and prairie grasslands.

Wildland fire management has been a Parks Canada responsibility since the creation of the first national park in Canada in 1887. At that time, the focus was on the suppression of wildfire to
protect the public and natural resources. 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 on lands administered by Parks Canada.

Parks Canada uses a variety of tools and strategies, including prescribed fires, forest thinning, and the creation of community fire guards, to reduce the impacts of wildfire and protect the public, communities, and infrastructure.

Waskesiu Community Fuel Break

Date: Completed
Size: 40 ha
Location: South of the Waskesiu townsite
Additional details: The Waskesiu Community Fuel Break (CFB) prescribed fire is a preventative measure to reduce the risk from potential wildfires to the Waskesiu townsite. There have been prescribed fires every spring along the southern boundary of the CFB since 2006, except when prescription was not met. This prescribed fire is one part of a maintenance strategy that keeps the CFB effective in protecting Waskesiu from wildfire.

This map shows the townsite of Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park with the Waskesiu Community Fuel Break. The map contains a legend and an inset map of Prince Albert National Park that marks the location of Waskesiu within the park. It also shows the 0 to 1 scale of the map in the bottom left corner. The map has the streets in Waskesiu as well as Highways 263 and 264. The community fuel break surrounds the townsite to the north, east and south with Lake Waskesiu to the west. The prescribed fire boundary is marked in the area south of the Waskesiu townsite.

Map : townsite of Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park with the Waskesiu Community Fuel Break — Text version This map shows the townsite of Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park with the Waskesiu Community Fuel Break. The map contains a legend and an inset map of Prince Albert National Park that marks the location of Waskesiu within the park. It also shows the 0 to 1 scale of the map in the bottom left corner. The map has the streets in Waskesiu as well as Highways 263 and 264. The community fuel break surrounds the townsite to the north, east and south with Lake Waskesiu to the west. The prescribed fire boundary is marked in the area south of the Waskesiu townsite.

For more information, please contact feu-princealbert-fire@pc.gc.ca or call 306-663-4522.

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