Wildfire-ravaged Waterton to reopen to some residents

WATERTON, ALTA. — Parks Canada has informed some evacuees that they will be able to return to the Waterton Lakes National Park townsite starting Tuesday.

Everyone was forced out of the southwestern Alberta park 10 days ago when a powerful wildfire burning in British Columbia was poised breach its boundaries.

The fire tore through much of the tinderdry park three days later and into some surrounding grassland, but fire crews were able to save the townsite.

“Although the townsite was not impacted by the fire, the effects on the park are significant,” superintendent Ifan Thomas wrote in a letter to evacuees included in a re-entry package.

“With time, starting this spring, the park will largely restore itself. It continues to be the very special place it was before the fire, albeit with the landscape largely changed.”

The first phase of re-entry is limited to residents, business owners and leaseholders and is to take place over a 24-hour period starting Tuesday morning, according to the re-entry booklet.

The fire is still out of control and covers an estimated 380 square kilometres.

Parks Canada warned that those returning should not expect things to be business as usual.

Utility company Fortis has restored power using generators, but there may still be intermittent outages, said Parks Canada spokesperson Natalie Fay.

The agency is also warning that wildlife displaced by the fire may be wandering around the town looking for food. Some animals may be confused or injured and sightings should be reported to parks authorities.

Fay confirmed that wildlife died in the fire, which was so intense and fast moving that some animals weren’t able to get out on Monday night.

Parks Canada teams are euthanizing any animals they find with unsurvivable wounds.