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Fire bans in place for Banff, Kootenay, Yoho National Parks for August long weekend

Campers headed to Kootenay and Banff National Parks for the long weekend might need to reconsider their plans, with fire bans as well as highway and trail closures in place due to a number of lightning-ignited wildfires.

B.C. wildfires may put a halt to some campers' plans

CBC News ·
Highway 93 South is closed from Paint Pots trailhead to McLeod Meadows campground due to the B.C. wildfires. (Anis Heydari/CBC)

UPDATED STORY AUG. 3, 2018: As of noon on Aug. 3, Highway 93 South remains closed between Castle Junction and the B.C. border due to wildfire activity and is expected to remain closed until at least Aug. 5. 

Campers headed to Kootenay and Banff National Parks for the August long weekend might need to reconsider their plans, with fire bans as well as highway and trail closures in place due to a number of lightning-ignited wildfires.

Highway 93 South remains closed between the Paint Pots trailhead and McLeod Meadows campground, but the stretch from Radium Hot Springs to McLeod Meadows and from Paint Pots to the Trans-Canada Highway junction has reopened.

Drivers were being advised to detour through Golden, B.C., but a multi-vehicle collision shut down Highway 1 between Field and Golden around 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

Highway 1 reopened shortly before 6 p.m. 

Alberta Transportation's website advised drivers to expect delays of up to six hours.

Parks Canada said fire bans are in place Thursday for Kootenay, Yoho and Banff National Parks. The maximum penalty for violating a fire ban in a national park is $25,000.

In addition to the highway closure, the following trails and campgrounds have been closed:

  • Hector Gorge trail.
  • North Rockwall from Tumbling Pass to Paint Pots trailhead, including Helmet Creek trail, Goodsir Pass trail and Wolverine Pass trail.
  • Tumbling, Helmet and Helmet Ochre campgorunds.
  • South Rockwall trail from Tumbling Pass to Floe Lake trailhead.
  • Numa Creek and Floe Lake campgrounds.
  • Luxor Pass trail, West Kootenay trail, Dolly Varden trail and Crooks Meadow Group camping.
  • Honeymoon Pass trail, Hawk Creek trail and Simpson River trail.
  • Wardle Creek, Vermilion Crossing and Simpson's Monument day-use areas.
  • And Kootenay Park Lodge, which has been evacuated. 

Chloe Kibe is a server at Storm Mountain Lodge, at the north end of the highway, about five kilometres south of the Trans-Canada. She said the wildfires are stressful for employees because they're so unpredictable, but staff is used to contending with wildfire season each year.

"There's definitely been a little less through traffic than there'd probably normally be," Kibe said. "But otherwise it hasn't really affected us."

A smoky mountain range can be seen. Trees are in the foreground.
Hazy skies are visible near Storm Mountain Lodge in Banff National Park due to B.C.'s wildfires. (Anis Heydari/CBC)

The wildfires that crews are battling in the region include:

  • Two wildfires in Vermillion Valley, which were started by lightning strikes, combined together and grew to an estimated 1,000 hectares on Wednesday.
  • One spot fire in Kootenay Valley, which has been extinguished, and another contained.
  • A fire on the slopes of Lipalian Mountain in Bow Valley, east of Lake Louise, which is being held. 
  • The Whitetail Creek fire, 40 kilometres north of Radium Hot Springs, which is classified as out of control at 290 hectares.

A map of the closed area is below.

Highway 93 South is closed between the Paint Pots trailhead and McLeod Meadows campground, but the stretch from Radium Hot Springs to McLeod Meadows and from Paint Pots to the Trans-Canada Highway junction has reopened. (Parks Canada)

With files from Anis Heydari

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