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Fire ban for Canmore, none in Banff Park

The Town of Canmore has instituted a community-wide fire ban after a province-wide ban was made effective, Tuesday (May 17), but Banff National Park has not taken the same step.

The Town of Canmore has instituted a community-wide fire ban after a province-wide ban was made effective, Tuesday (May 17), but Banff National Park has not taken the same step.

The town-wide ban in Canmore is in effect until further notice and prohibits the use of all wood, briquette and propane/natural gas fires, including those contained in designated fire facilities and portable fire pits.

Gas and propane barbeques are permitted, according to Assistant Fire Chief Scott Wing. He said it may require several days of rain for the ban to be lifted.

Dave Verhulst, fire communications officer for Parks Canada, said there is no fire ban in any of the mountain national parks, including the Banff townsite.

“We have had a very slow melt of our snow this year, a high snowpack and an unseasonably slow spring,” Verhulst said. “It has created a situation where we have a low fire danger.”

He said the result is it is safe to have fires, but only within designated fire pits in the national parks.

Wing, though, also warned those taking the opportunity to hike near creeks in the valley to be cautious.

“Water levels will be up and I want to encourage people should be cautious around streams and rivers,” he said.

Wing said water levels increase rapidly and without warning in creek beds due to spring run off and precipitation.

That means a dry creek bed in the morning can turn into an impassable stream by the afternoon.

Last June, a group of 18 hikers, including seven children, had to be rescued from Cougar Creek after high temperatures saw the flow and current increased to the point they could not get out of the canyon and called for help.

The seven children were slung out by helicopter while the adults were assisted by conservation officers with ropes to navigate the creek and hike out.

In addition to Cougar Creek, the seasonal conditions also create issues with Canmore Creek, Jura Creek and Grotto Creek.

For more information on the provincial fire ban, go to www.albertafirebans.ca


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