BOW VALLEY – A fire ban has been put into effect for Canmore and the Calgary Forest Area (CFA), which includes the MD of Bighorn, Kananaskis Country and Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda.
The fire danger in Banff also hit extreme on Tuesday (July 9).
Due to the recent heatwave, lack of precipitation and forecasted conditions, wildfire danger has risen in the Bow Valley.
“We've benefited from some precipitation on and off for the last several weeks, which has really helped us out here in the south. But we're looking at these extreme conditions right now,” said Anastasia Drummond, Alberta Wildfire information officer for the CFA.
Under the ban, placed on Wednesday (July 10), all outdoor wood fires on public or private land, designated campgrounds and backyard fire pits are prohibited. Barbeques with charcoal briquettes, fireworks and exploding targets are also prohibited.
Allowed under the current advisory are indoor wood fires inside a structure and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor, open flame oil devices, like tiki torches, which must be approved by the Canadian Standards Association and used per the manufacturer's standards.
Additionally all fire permits have been suspended or cancelled and no new permits will be issued. However, some permissions can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, which must be approved by a Forest Officer.
Currently in Alberta, there are 71 active wildfires which include carryover wildfires, but not mutual aid. This year there have been 597 wildfires, which does not include carryover or mutual aid wildfires.
To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (3473).
As of Tuesday (July 9) Banff National Park’s fire danger has rising to extreme; however, the park has been under an advisory since April 2.
The restrictions under the advisory require people to only light campfires in designated Parks Canada metal fire rings or boxes.
The Outlook has reached out to Parks Canada and will update the story if new information becomes available.
In Banff, suspicious smoke or illegal campfires can be reported to 403-762-1470.
