Toronto to conduct controlled burn in High Park, South Humber Park in April

Adam Taylor, a crew member from Lands and Forests Consulting, walks with a sandwich on a shovel, which he cooked in the embers during a break in a controlled burn, intended to benefit the space's ecosystem, in Toronto’s High Park, Thursday, April 13, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

The City of Toronto will light sections of High Park and South Humber Park on fire later this month to protect their ecosystems.

In a news release issued Monday, the city said the prescribed burns, which are rooted in Indigenous tradition, will consist of “deliberately set and carefully controlled” fires that burn low to the ground and consume dried leaves, twigs and grass to stimulate growth.

The city said the practice, known by the Ojibwe term Biinaakzigewok Anishnaabeg, has been used to restore the ecosystems of Toronto’s rare black oak savannah and woodland habitats for more than two decades.

It’s unclear when exactly the fires will be set, as the timing is dependent on the weather, but the city said it’s aiming for the burns to take place later this month.

“The date will be selected 24 to 48 hours in advance based on the forecast. The High Park burn will begin in the late morning, followed by South Humber Park in the afternoon,” the city said.

High Park will be closed to vehicles on the day of the burn and park access will be limited to users at both sites near the burn zones.

The city said that, under ideal conditions, the smoke from the fires will not affect surrounding neighbourhoods. However, it’s possible that smoke could travel to residential areas near the parks and those with asthma or a sensitivity to poison ivy should stay indoors and keep windows closed.