Banff National Park Hits Extreme Fire Danger
Cathy Ellis
Rocky Mountain Outlook
BANFF – The fire danger in Banff National Park has hit extreme.
Parks Canada issued a notice late Thursday afternoon (June 5), noting fires will ignite easily, spread quickly and burn intensely under an extreme fire hazard conditions.
“Wildfires burning under these conditions are very difficult for firefighters to control,” according to a social media post by Parks Canada.
“While we cannot avoid naturally occurring wildfires – lightning strikes – we can avoid human-caused fires.”
Parks Canada asks residents and visitors to do their part by only having campfires in designated fire pits and keeping them small; completely extinguishing a campfire after each use; and disposing of cigarettes in appropriate receptacles.
Banff is heading into a warm sunny stretch, with just a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 21 Celsius on Friday, June 6, followed by no sign of rain in sight for the following several days. Saturday is forecast to be 21 C, Sunday 26 C, and Monday 28 C.
So far, only one wildfire has been recorded in Banff National Park this year when a fire started on April 18 west of Vermilion Lakes adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway.
Fire crews from the Town of Banff fire department and Parks Canada were quick to respond to get the fire under control. It was snuffed out completely later that same day.
This fire is believed to have been human-caused, potentially by the careless tossing of a cigarette.
In 2024, there were three wildfires reported in Banff National Park.
A small, 0.17-hectare fire was reported on the upper slopes of the Fairholme range just west of Carrot Creek on Aug. 11, 2024.
Within 10 minutes of receiving the call, three intermediate helicopters were dumping water on the fire while two Parks Canada fire crews, along with an additional fire crew from Alberta Wildfire were on scene. Thanks to the quick response, the wildfire was brought under control in just under five hours of detection.
On Aug. 6, fire crews responded to a 0.2-hectare wildfire in the backcountry of Banff National Park near the Redearth and Pharaoh creeks junction. It was brought under control the following day and completely extinguished on Aug. 9.
On the evening of July 30, Parks Canada responded to a smoke report and confirmed a small fire in the park’s backcountry near Elk Pass and approximately 15 kilometers north of the Banff townsite.
A Parks Canada fire crew responded immediately to get the fire under control that evening, with support from helicopter bucketing. It was officially snuffed out on Aug. 1.
On July 31, while crews were scanning the Elk Pass area for lingering hot spots, a second small spot fire was identified approximately 120 meters to the north of the original fire. A fire crew and helicopter worked to extinguish the second fire.
Meanwhile, Parks Canada asks that residents and visitors report any wildfires, illegal campfires, or suspicious smoke to Parks Canada emergency dispatch: 403-762-1470.