The night Waterton almost burned to the ground
Wildfire jumped boundaries of park and destroyed areas in Cardston County and MD of Pincher Creek
Sept. 11, 2017, will be remembered in the annals of southern Alberta history for a long time.
It was the night Waterton almost burned to the ground.
The Waterton Lakes National Park Visitors Centre was destroyed by fire, several nearby ranches were lost, and fire activity went beyond the park gates, forcing a series of evacuation orders and local states of emergency.
Overnight Sept. 11 into Sept. 12, the Kenow wildfire grew by 50 per cent to roughly 20,000 hectares — due to high winds and critically dry fuels leading to the extreme fire behaviour and rapid growth.
Nine Alberta airtankers, 14 helicopters and 135 firefighters, including about 60 structural firefighters from neighbouring municipalities, continued working on Sept. 12 to protect structures within the perimeter of the Waterton townsite.
Yet Parks Canada officials estimate 30 per cent of Waterton Lakes National Park, and about 70 per cent of the park’s forested area, were affected by the Kenow fire.
As such, the Kenow wildfire is the Lethbridge Herald’s 2017 “News Story of the Year.”
“Unfortunately, structures outside the perimeter have been lost, including the visitor centre and several out buildings,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, speaking via teleconference on Sept. 12.
“Crews are working hard to protect houses and other structures there and our latest information is that they have been successful. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank the first responders working around the clock to fight this blaze. I’d like to thank communities affected by the fire for their co-operation in smooth evacuations.”
Early detection and recognition that the Kenow Fire could have a major impact was a significant factor in the preparedness that helped save the townsite, said Jed Cochrane, Parks Canada Incident Command.
“We wanted to recognize the efforts, the professionalism and the bravery that was put forward the night of Sept. 11 by all the resources that were here,” he said.” It’s very rare in our jobs to see fire behaviour that is as challenging and fastmoving as this was on Sept. 11. The fact that they were not only able to prevent the loss of any life, but also prevent the loss of any significant structures within the Waterton townsite is truly remarkable.”
Scott Elliot, incident commander on site in Waterton for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, said preparation work led to a successful operation of saving the townsite.
“The firefighters who were on scene, the fire approach, performed excellent work and the townsite was saved,” he said. “There was some damage to some structures through town there, but the overall preparation and work that we had done was excellent there last night (Sept. 11) under very challenging conditions.”
“We’ll continue to work diligently to protect the townsite of Waterton,” said Ifan Thomas, Superintendent for Waterton Lakes National Park.
Parks Canada did confirm no homes or businesses within the Waterton townsite were lost or damaged due to fire, thanks to the firefighting efforts and resources in place.
The iconic Prince of Wales Hotel was also spared from fire damage, though some surrounding facilities were affected. The Red Rock and Cameron Lake day-use areas and facilities, including the Alpine Club of Canada hut, also escaped fire damage. The Waterton Lakes Golf Course clubhouse sustained minor damage to the exterior.
Parks Canada said despite their best efforts some infrastructure in the park had been lost, including Alpine Stables, the visitor centre and the east gate warden station, which sustained a total loss of the structure, equipment and vehicles. Outlying infrastructure around the Parks Canada operations compound were impacted and the Bison Paddock suffered damage to the facilities and the fence.
Parks Canada said Crandell Campground was significantly impacted by fire. Transmission lines from the park boundary to the townsite sustained significant damage.
On Sept. 20, the Waterton townsite was reopened — albeit with limited services and all outlying trails closed for the foreseeable future
“We wouldn’t have let people in if it wasn’t safe,” Natalie Fay, emergency management information officer for Parks Canada for the Kenow Fire. “Reentry to the townsite is a fantastic first step, but we have a long road ahead of us and a lot of work.”
That day, Larry Becker, Waterton Lakes Opera House owner and Waterton resident, was putting up letters for his marquis to read “Thank you firefighters. You saved our town.”
“When I saw the satellite photos of the fire and the way it was spreading, I lost hope for the town,” Becker said. “From the townsite, yeah, you can see the burn slopes but they’re going to be green again next summer with the undergrowth coming back. The townsite is in perfect condition.”
Despite the resources, the Kenow wildfire spread into Cardston County and the Municipal District of Pincher Creek.
A mandatory evacuation was issued for a section of the MD of Pincher Creek from South Highway 505 to Waterton Lakes National Park and Castle Mountain Resort. An estimated 150 residences were affected.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the fire,” said Brian Hammond, Reeve for the MD of Pincher Creek.
“This is a community situation,” said Pincher Creek Mayor Don Andenberg. “We have the resources here to handle things right now. We are working on a contingency plan. Everyone is working on the citizens’ behalf.”
More than 50 homes in Cardston County between Waterton Lakes National Park and Highway 800 from the U.S. border north to Township Road 40 also faced a mandatory evacuation. The Kenow wildfire advanced to about five kilometres from the Blood Reserve, where a mandatory evacuation was also issued for areas there.
The evacuation orders were assisted by door to door visits by the RCMP and Parks Canada staff.
Beyond the evacuation centres, offers of support to take in displaced people and animals stretched across southern Alberta. Among them was Exhibition Park in Lethbridge offering space for emergency evacuees looking for RV parking, and the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association offering space for livestock.
In December, the MD of Pincher Creek released a 43page document relating to a consultant study claiming a lack of communication on multiple government levels, and from Parks Canada, relating to the Kenow Wildfire.
Further follow ups and possible studies can be anticipated in 2018.