Toronto Forestry and Recreation undertook a controlled burn in High Park earlier today, which is pretty much what it sounds like. But though the fire burns low to the ground and consumes mostly dried leaves, small twigs and grass stems, it produces one hell of a lot of smoke. Photographer Tom Ryaboi was on the scene and reports that the event went mostly according to plan. "With Toronto police watching closely, the burn was carried out in four separate areas of the park without incident. At one point a raccoon (see photo below) was seen up in one of the trees over the burn area, but although visibly frightened by the commotion bellow, it escaped unscathed," he told us by email.

You wouldn't have thought it was all so under control by the scene around the park, however. Some of these photos look downright apocalyptic (literally). So I guess the question is what looks scarier — this controlled burn or the Silent Hill film set?

All photographs by Tom Ryaboi. Check out more of his work at his website, Blursurfing.