Good burn: Prescribed fire is medicine for Sask. grasslands

A group of around 20 people wearing hard hats and safety gear gathered recently under a cloudless sky at Cranberry Flats, to set the conservation area south of Saskatoon on fire.

Flames and smoke quickly turned the brown grassland black and the blue sky grey; but instead of destruction, this fire will work like medicine for nature, boosting the health of the prairie environment.

The people using drip torches to light the area were part of the Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) in Saskatoon, a five-day learning event bringing together people from Western Canada and beyond.

“We have multiple partners here in Saskatoon that have been burning together for nearly 30 years,” said Renny Grilz, manager of conservation with the Meewasin Valley Authority, one of the agencies organizing the TREX event.

“Saskatoon is actually one of the hubs of prescribed fire here in Western Canada.”

Land managers, ranchers and firefighters were among the 60 participants from 27 different agencies.

Some came all the way from the United States to share their knowledge with the next generation of people keen to learn how to conduct prescribed fires in a safe manner.

“I've always been in love with fire,” said lead trainer Melanie Schmidt.

“I think the first time I learned about prescribed fire, I was just hooked.”

Schmidt works with the Nature Conservancy in the United States and has turned her passion for fire into a career.

The land around Saskatoon looks familiar to her, as it’s similar to the tallgrass prairie in Iowa where she lives. 

However, there are some differences in the types of grasses, the species of brush and trees, and how they respond to fire.

“For centuries, Indigenous folks have been using fire,” Schmidt said.

“So we're just continuing to try to share that message in a positive way, that fire can be a tool. When it's used appropriately, it can be beneficial and really great for the landscapes, wildlife and the people that call it home.”