Deliberate fire will be set to weed out Burlington’s invasive plants

A controlled fire is planned for a Burlington nature reserve tomorrow (April 12) in order to remove invasive plant species.

The Bruce Trail Conservancy will be conducting the burn in a field north of Dundas St. between Cedar Springs Rd. and Guelph Line.

It is expected that once the non-native invasive species are destroyed, grasses and other natural plants such as Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, and Tall Sunflower will be able to grow and thrive.

The burn will mean that smoke will be seen in the area and that access to Fisher’s Pond side trail and the Bruce Trail between Springer Cres. and Guelph Line will be closed for the day.

Environmentalists, controlled burn specialists and the Burlington Fire Department will be on site.

“Residents near Guelph Line and Dundas St. in Burlington and the surrounding areas may see smoke while the burn is taking place and for approximately 48 hours after the fires have been extinguished, however, smoke issues will be minimized by burning under specific wind directions and atmospheric conditions,” a statement by the Bruce Trail Conservancy reads.

This time of year is chosen for the burn, according to the conservancy, because it won’t interrupt most of the wildlife such as reptiles and burns which have not yet returned to the area.

“Wildlife (that remains) in the area will be able to flee the prescribed burn area and take refuge in the surrounding habitats that include nearby meadows and forests that will not be affected by the burn, as well as to the pond area,” according to the conservancy.