Evacuation orders mount as park wildfire spreads in Alberta

First Nations community placed on alert

WATERTON, ALTA. • A wildfire that Parks Canada says has spread to various spots in Waterton Lakes National Park has prompted evacuation orders in some surrounding areas.

The Blood Tribe, a First Nations community southwest of Lethbridge, ordered everyone out early Tuesday from homes and apartments in the extreme southwest corner of the reserve.

“There’s probably about 50 homes (that have been evacuated),” said Blood Tribe fire Chief Oscar Cotton. “What I can tell you is that our evacuation centre has about 100 people.”

Residents of about 150 homes in another part of the reserve, further away from the fire, were told to be prepared to leave on short notice. Cotton said the blaze was moving rapidly.

“At 4 a.m. (Tuesday morning) it was about five kilometres from the reserve. At the same time Monday, it was probably 20 or 30 kilometres.”

Property damage isn’t the only concern, Cotton said, noting the fire has created a “massive” amount of smoke.

Lockey Craig, who has property just east of the park on the Belly River, drove down with his wife from Calgary on Monday night when it looked like the situation was worsening.

They managed to load some photo albums and other keepsakes into their vehicle before the area was put under an evacuation order late Monday night. Craig figures he got 21/2 hours of sleep at a niece’s home in nearby Cardston.

When he was at his property, he could see smoke billowing out from the mountains in the park and there was ash falling from the sky, he said.

“We live at least 10 kilometres away from the (park) gate and it looked like it was snowing last night through the night as we were loading stuff up.”

Craig is the president of Waymarker Hospitality, which owns several hotels and restaurants within the park’s townsite. He said rumours have been flying about which buildings have been burned and which have been spared.

“It is what it is. I’m very