REGINA — The Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) is conducting a prescribed burn on North Goose Island and Pelican Island in Wascana Centre on Monday, Oct. 6. It may be postponed, however, if weather conditions do not allow for the burn to proceed safely.
According to wascana.ca, fire can be used to renew vegetation and help maintain healthy ecosystems. After a fire, the vegetation of a burn area quickly regenerates; fire does not harm ecosystems but contributes to their long-term health and function.
The prescribed burn scheduled for Wascana Centre is being planned to help control invasive exotic plant species such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome grass, reduce hazardous fuel loads and stimulate aspen and native shrub regeneration. Prescribed burns also help to remediate the excessive build-up of dead plant litter which, if left, can lead to a higher risk of uncontrolled wildfires threatening the safety of people and valuable property adjacent to Wascana Centre.
In addition, prescribed burns may play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry.
There will be smoke, but it won’t be like wildfire smoke. Because prescribed fires are planned for the fall or spring so they can be conducted at a lower intensity in mild temperatures, they produce less smoke than unplanned wildfires that generally occur under warmer and drier conditions.
According to wascana.ca, over the last 20 years prescribed burns have been successfully used in many provincial parks including Moose Mountain, Fort Carlton, Douglas, Saskatchewan Landing, Good Spirit Lake and Greenwater Lake Provincial Parks, among others.
Recently, members of the Provincial Capital Commission took part in a prescribed burn conducted at the Condie Nature Refuge on May 2, 2025, to reduce fuel load in the area to help prevent wildfires.
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