Waterton reopens to public after safe call
Waterton Lakes National Park reopened to the public Wednesday afternoon, though visitors might not recognize much of the blackened landscape.
The once green and rolling hills leading into the park are now mostly barren, with torched trees dotting the land.
The massive Kenow wildfire that had threatened the town and forced its residents to flee is now classified as “being held.” Parks Canada incident commander Jed Cochrane said his team had to ensure the park was safe before it could be reopened.
“We went out and suppressed 200 feet in the area around Waterton and made sure that was extinguished,” he said. “We supported that with aerial scans that showed us where the heat was, and we used that to come to the conclusion that opening the park today was a safe decision.”
The fire, which ignited Aug. 30, was likely caused by a lightning strike, said Cochrane. It was discovered by Parks Canada staff the same day.
“That early recognition set the stage for the level of preparedness that occurred in the coming days,” said Cochrane.
Waterton was evacuated Sept. 8 as the fire grew. It jumped from 9,000 hectares on Sept. 10 to 36,000 hectares two days later, when southern portions of the Municipal District of Pincher Creek were also evacuated.
Rick Moore, wildfire operations officer with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, said the outlook is positive for the coming days as 121 personnel and 10 helicopters continue to tackle the remaining hot spots.
“We should be at a very good place here by the end of the week,” Moore said.
“We’re thinking by the end of next week, that this operation should be scaled back, prioritizing a few areas we have left over.”