Evacuation alert lifted for Waterton Lakes National Park
CBC News | Posted: August 27, 2018 3:40 PM | Last Updated: August 27, 2018
860-hectare Boundary wildfire on U.S. side of border doused by 20 mm of rain
Parks Canada has lifted the evacuation alert for Waterton Lakes National Park after recent rains where a wildfire is burning south of the Canada-U.S. border.
The Alberta Emergency Alert service issued a bulletin Monday morning to say Parks Canada had cancelled the evacuation standby, noting that the Boundary fire has received 20 mm of precipitation, partially suppressing the blaze.
Parks Canada will continue to monitor the situation, the notice said.
Most of the backcountry hiking and camping sites that were closed Aug. 24 have been reopened.
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Parks Canada issued the evacuation alert for all areas of the park on Friday as the wildfire in Montana burned to the border, within about five kilometres of the Waterton townsite, and threatened to roar even further north.
By Saturday, the fire had moved north and east, growing to about 860 hectares and reaching Boundary Creek in Glacier National Park.
Parks Canada said on Monday the fire remains about that size.
"Fire activity, including smoke and flame may continue to be visible to the public in some areas in the coming days as sunny, warm days return," Parks Canada said in a release.
The superintendent of Waterton Lakes National Park granted authority for the American incident command team to operate on the Canadian side of the border, said spokesman John Stoesser in an update Sunday.
Parks Canada said it will continue to work with U.S. officials to manage the wildfire and protect infrastructure.
Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across British Columbia. More than 945,000 hectares have been scorched in that province since April 1.
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