Some of Winnipeg's natural areas are getting scorched to help facilitate healthy growth.

Over the next few weeks, the City of Winnipeg Public Works Department and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service will be conducting controlled burns in various natural areas, weather permitting.

Sarah Semmler is the Museum Director at Living Prairie Museum. She says it's a very controlled, calculated, and careful process in which fire is used to remove dead vegetation.

"It's a natural process that we're trying to mimic and it's very, very helpful for rejuvenating these sites," she says.

Semmler says about 50 sites in the city are monitored and assessed for controlled burns; the ones with more deadfall are put higher on the list of priorities.

"It's actually part of how the ecosystem functions here... a lot of the plants are fire-adapted."

Semmler says public announcements are issued, and people living in homes in nearby areas are notified of any upcoming controlled burns.

Work is done as long as weather allows for it. Semmler says if it's too wet and an area can't be burned when it's originally scheduled, they'll just keep that site on the list and get it done another time.

According to the city, controlled burns have been conducted on Winnipeg's tall grass prairies by the Naturalist Services Branch since 1986.