Wildfire Update from Parks Canada - July 20, 1:45 p.m.
The Parks Canada incident management team is actively managing a wildfire in Kootenay National Park and Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. The fire remains on the west side of the Continental Divide, approximately 24 km from the Town of Banff and approximately 2.5 km from Sunshine Village.
The fire has spread further into Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park along the continental divide, and Parks Canada is working closely with BC Parks and BC Wildfire Service to manage the fire. The current perimeter of the fire is approximately 2500-3000 hectares which includes non-forested areas. For more information about Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park:
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_assiniboine
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The safety of the public, our crews, park infrastructure and neighbouring lands is always Parks Canada’s first priority.
- The fire has not advanced further towards Simpson Pass, and Parks Canada fire management operations are focused on preventing the spread of the fire in this area.
- The Verdant Creek wildfire is currently not a threat to local communities.
WHAT IS HAPPENING FRIDAY, JULY 21ST :
Parks Canada has been working closely with Sunshine Village to implement an operational closure of the ski area to visitors as of Friday, July 21 to allow Parks Canada crews to take further action to manage the Verdant Creek wildfire. Sunshine Village will be used as a staging area for activities in the North Simpson valley and Redearth Pass. This phase of work will see more helicopters and crews in the Sunshine Village area and may create additional smoke, therefore it is best that visitors not be in the area for the duration of the work.
WHAT IS CLOSED:
Areas in both Kootenay and Banff national parks are affected by closures:
- In Kootenay, the area near Verdant Creek and Simpson River remain closed.
- In Banff, the Egypt Lake area remains closed as does the Brewster Creek which was added July 19, 2017.
Backcountry camping permits in this area are cancelled until further notice. Individuals with backcountry reservations in the area closure should contact 403-762-1556 or visit a Parks Canada Visitor Centre.
A fire ban has been issued for all mountain national parks due to the elevated fire danger and to prevent the possibility of human-caused fires.
WHAT IS OPEN:
Except for the closure area, all facilities in Banff and Kootenay national Parks remain open, and there are many backcountry destinations for visitors to explore. All highways in Banff and Kootenay national parks remain open.
In the proximity of the closure area, the following facilities remain open: Shadow Lake Lodge and other tourism operations in the area, Hawk Creek and Redearth Trails to Ball Pass.
FOR CURRENT INFORMATION:
Refer to our website:
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/banff and our Facebook and Twitter channels.
Emergencies only: Report wildfires, illegal campfires, or suspicious smoke to Banff Dispatch at 403-762-4506.