VERMILION VALLEY – A wildfire burning in Kootenay National Park has reached 1,420 hectares in size as of Wednesday (Aug. 8) afternoon and is expected to remain active for the remainder of the week.
Parks Canada incident commander Jed Cochrane said with high temperatures, low relative humidity and higher winds in the forecast, the fire is expected to remain active and Highway 93 South will remain closed until it is safe to reopen.
“We have had increased fire activity in the highway corridor and in addition to that we are undergoing operations to bring the fire down to the highway and containment lines,” Cochrane said. “If we are successful in those operations, they will result in the ability to open the highway.
“But because of the active wildfire and ongoing fire operations, the highway will remain closed until at least Thursday at noon, at which time there will be another update.”
Lightning storms on July 31 and Aug. 2 resulted in nine wildfires in Kootenay, Yoho and Banff national parks, but by the next day Parks Canada crews had extinguished seven.
The fire near Mount Wardle in Vermilion Valley grew significantly to start, reaching 1,200 hectares by Aug. 3. It stayed that size until Tuesday (Aug. 7), when it grew a further 250 hectares according to Cochrane.
Alberta Wildfire has provided Parks Canada with heavy equipment to assist in efforts to contain the fire. Cochrane said work is currently underway to create a fuel break by using both heavy equipment and by burning an area near the highway in advance of the fire.
“We are removing some of the forest fuels using fire in areas adjacent to the highway to prevent it from doing that on its own terms,” he said.
As for characteristics of the wildfire, Cochrane said there is a lot of forest fuels in this particular area of Kootenay National Park and the blaze is “burning hot on steep slopes.”
“I think we will see a positive for the area ecologically,” he added.
Parks Canada information bulletins indicated that road closures would be determined based on public safety criteria. Specifically, officials are concerned about the risk of trees falling onto the roadway, the anticipated movement of the fire and smoke in the area.
The fire operations team has grown to include 11 helicopters, two pieces of heavy equipment and 120 personnel. That includes Parks Canada firefighters from across the country.
A wildfire was discovered on Tuesday in Yoho National Park, said Cochrane. It is located in the Otter Tail Valley and Parks Canada expects it to be contained within the next few days.
While through access along the highway was not possible for several days, portions at the north and south ends remained open including access to the Paint Pots and Radium Hot Springs to McLeod Meadows.
The Kootenay Park Lodge was evacuated as a precaution and a contractor brought in to protect the structure with high-volume sprinklers.
Communities in the Columbia Valley remain open for business along with the Radium Hot Springs, Storm Mountain and Shadow Lake lodges.
Check www.drivebc.ca and www.511.alberta.ca for up-to-date highway information. Trail, back-country and day-use areas remain closed in the national parks. Visit https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/kootenay/securite-safety/kpn-knp-feu-fire-2018 for more information on closures.
The area of the fire is one valley west of Verdant Creek, where a wildfire burned for several months last year after also being started by lightning in July.
