Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange

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Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange Knowledge sharing and training around the use of prescribed fire as a conservation management tool.

We provide training, planning and knowledge sharing around the use of prescribed fire as a management tool for enhancing healthy prairie and parkland ecosystems. We recognise the importance of fire as an instrument for conservation, traditional practice, and public safety.

The smoke goes up and out! Today, our crews are out at multiple sites around Saskatoon, putting good fire to work for th...
10/22/2026

The smoke goes up and out!

Today, our crews are out at multiple sites around Saskatoon, putting good fire to work for the prairie.

We’re currently at Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Hyde Park (City of Saskatoon Naturalized Park), and the Northeast Swale Ecological Core carrying out prescribed fire activities to renew grasslands, enhance forage quality and enhance the ecosystem.

It’s been a week-long series of prescribed fire activities, and we’re grateful to everyone making it happen. Stay tuned for more updates from the field.



The Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange is funded by the Weston Family Foundation through the Prairie Grassland Initiative and managed by the Meewasin Valley Authority.

We are currently on the different sites carrying out conservation efforts by fire to the land and enhance the ecosystem....
10/22/2026

We are currently on the different sites carrying out conservation efforts by fire to the land and enhance the ecosystem. We are currently at beaver creek, Hyde park and the north east swales.
And the smoke goes up and out! It’s been a week long series of prescribe fire activities around Saskatoon.

And the smoke goes up and out!

Today, our crews are out at multiple sites around Saskatoon, putting good fire to work for the prairie.

We’re currently at Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Hyde Park (City of Saskatoon Naturalized Park), and the Northeast Swale Ecological Core carrying out prescribed fire activities to renew grasslands, enhance forage quality and enhance the ecosystem.

It’s been a week-long series of prescribed fire activities, and we’re grateful to everyone making it happen. Stay tuned for more updates from the field.



The Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange is funded by the Weston Family Foundation through the Prairie Grassland Initiative and managed by the Meewasin Valley Authority.

10/22/2026

Prescribed fire activities continuing today (weather permitting)

Crews from the 5th Canadian Prairies Training Exchange (TREX) are continuing operations in the Saskatoon area today (October 22), with prescribed fire activities planned at the Northeast Swale Ecological Core, Beaver Creek Conservation Area, and Hyde Park (City of Saskatoon Naturalized Parks) beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m. and continuing into the early evening, weather permitting.

Prescribed fire is a vital tool for prairie conservation, helping reduce fuel loads, improve wildlife habitat, and maintain healthy native grasslands. These carefully planned activities support the long-term health and resilience of our prairie ecosystems.

If you see smoke in the area, it may be related to these planned and monitored operations.

Thank you to all the crews, partners, and organizations helping make this important conservation work possible.

October 22, 2026 | Canadian Prairies Training Exchange (TREX) Activity Update: Our crews are out on the landscape today...
10/22/2026

October 22, 2026 | Canadian Prairies Training Exchange (TREX) Activity Update:

Our crews are out on the landscape today, conducting prescribed burns at the following Saskatoon-area sites:
-Northeast Swale Ecological Core
-Beaver Creek Conservation Area
-Hyde Park, City of Saskatoon Naturalized Parks

Ignition is expected to begin around 10:30 AM, with burning continuing through the day into early evening.

If you see smoke in these areas, it’s part of planned, carefully managed work.
Prescribed fire helps renew grassland health, support native plants and wildlife, improve forage quality and reduce wildfire risk.

Please give crews and equipment plenty of space if you’re nearby.

Visit our website to learn more and stay tuned for updates and photos from the field!

Photos: Moments from the successful prescribed fire activities at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands on October 21, 2026.



The Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange is funded by the Weston Family Foundation through the Prairie Grassland Initiative and Managed by the Meewasin Valley Authority.

Join us this afternoon at the Wildland Fire Canada Conference 2026 for “Breaking Down Boundaries: International Collabor...
10/22/2026

Join us this afternoon at the Wildland Fire Canada Conference 2026 for “Breaking Down Boundaries: International Collaboration to Advance Prescribed Fire.”

This panel explores the cross-border partnerships restoring fire to grassland landscapes from the Great Plains to the Canadian Prairies. Hear from:

-Dr. Carol Baldwin, Great Plains Fire Exchange, USA
-Dr. Eric Lamb, University of Saskatchewan
-Dr. Roy Vera-Velez, Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM
Venue: TCU Place, 35 22nd Street East, Saskatoon, SK

Come for the conversation, stay for the connections. We’d love to see you there!

Prescribed fire in progress at SNG!We’re out at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands (SNG) carrying out a prescribed fire ac...
10/22/2026

Prescribed fire in progress at SNG!

We’re out at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands (SNG) carrying out a prescribed fire activity today. If you see smoke, don’t be alarmed. It’s planned, it’s controlled, and it will clear just as quickly as it appears.

A few reminders:
✅ Keep your windows closed if you’re nearby
✅ Stay well back from the site at a safe distance
✅ Please don’t call emergency services. Trained crews are on site

Prescribed fire is a valuable tool for the health of our prairie ecosystems. It renews grasslands, supports native plants, and creates habitat for wildlife.

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

10/21/2026

Prescribed fire activities continuing today (weather permitting)

Crews from the 5th Canadian Prairies Training Exchange (TREX) are continuing operations in the Saskatoon area today (October 21), with mop-up activities underway at yesterday's burn sites and a prescribed fire planned at Saskatoon Natural Grasslands this evening (weather permitting).

Yesterday, prescribed fires were successfully carried out at:
• Cranberry Flats Conservation Area (Meewasin)
• St. Denis National Wildlife Area (Canadian Wildlife Service)
• Brightwater Centre (Saskatoon Public Schools)

Prescribed fire is a vital tool for prairie conservation, helping reduce fuel loads, improve wildlife habitat, and maintain healthy native grasslands. These carefully planned activities support the long-term health and resilience of our prairie ecosystems.

If you see smoke in the area, it may be related to these planned and monitored operations.

Thank you to all the crews, partners, and organizations helping make this important conservation work possible.

October 21, 2026 | TREX Day 3Our crews are currently mopping up the burn units following yesterday’s prescribed fires, w...
10/21/2026

October 21, 2026 | TREX Day 3

Our crews are currently mopping up the burn units following yesterday’s prescribed fires, which ran late into the night. The training exchange continues today with proposed burns later in the day at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands if weather conditions are suitable.

Sites where prescribed fire activities were carried out yesterday are:

-Cranberry Flats, managed by Meewasin Valley Authority
-St. Denis, managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service
-Brightwater Centre, managed by Saskatoon Public Schools

Prescribed fire is a vital tool for prairie conservation.

Thank you to all the teams and our partners making it happen.

Today at the Wildland Fire Canada Conference in Saskatoon, the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange Managing Partn...
10/21/2026

Today at the Wildland Fire Canada Conference in Saskatoon, the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange Managing Partner and Director of Conservation, Renny Grilz, PAg (Distinguished) is joining fellow fire professionals for a keynote panel discussion on prescribed fire and cultural fire.

Fire has shaped prairie landscapes and communities for millennia. Bringing different perspectives and knowledge systems into one conversation is how we learn to use it well, and use it together.

We look forward to having everyone join us for this all important discussion and dropping by our booth to chat.



The Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange is funded by the Weston Family Foundation through the Prairie Grassland Initiative and managed by the Meewasin Valley Authority.

10/20/2026

The Radio.
Behind every prescribed fire is a team that’s always talking.

At the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange, we work to keep our grasslands, our fire activities, and our communities safe. Prescribed fire is a planned, carefully managed tool that renews prairie, reduces wildfire risk, and supports healthy land.

What makes it safe? Communication.

Every crew member carries a radio, and every burn begins with a briefing and a radio check. From there, the team stays connected the whole way through:

-Everyone knows the plan, their role, and who to call
-Short, clear, plain-language messages, repeated back to confirm
-Constant updates on wind, weather, and fire behaviour
-A shared “stop” call, so anyone can pause the burn if something doesn’t feel right

It’s not only about the gear. It’s about trust, clarity, and looking out for each other. When people communicate well, fire stays where it’s meant to be.
Follow along during TREX, October 19-23

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