Waterton Lakes wildfire doubles in size
Posted Sep 12, 2017 1:35 pm.
Last Updated Sep 12, 2017 4:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Parks Canada says a wildfire it’s been battling has spread to various spots in Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta. There have also been some evacuation orders in surrounding rural communities.
Some buildings have been lost to the flames, including the park’s visitor centre.
According to Premier Rachel Notley, the fire grew overnight.
“[It’s] roughly 20,000 hectares,” she explained on a Tuesday media call. “It left the park boundaries last night and is pushing east and slightly more.
“In the town of Waterton, roughly 45 structural firefighters from neighbouring municipalities, including the city of Calgary, are working to protect the structures within the perimeter of the town.”
Parks Canada says most of the townsite is intact, including the historic Prince of Wales Hotel.
At one point Monday night, the fire moved northeast about six kilometres over a two hour period to the Cameron Valley and the Akamina Parkway. In cases like this, when a fire jumps from forest to grass, it can spread rapidly.
“The grass in that area is dry and cured so it can become very aggressive,” said Bernie Schmidt with Alberta Forestry, “and depending on the wind speed and the direction, can move that fire in a very aggressive manner.”
Crews are hoping a forecasted cold front that is expected to roll through the area later this week will bring some rain. Nine air tankers and 14 helicopters are dropping water on the eastern edge of the blaze, to firefighters on the ground contain that side before it pushes further east.
Gusty winds are making fighting the wildfires a challenge and crews are hoping a forecasted cold front that is expected to roll through the area later this week will bring some rain.
