Fire ban issued for Banff National Park

The entirety of Banff National Park is under a fire ban, effective Tuesday, due to elevated fire risks across the region.

All open fires are banned within the park, including in front and backcountry campgrounds and day-use areas, with the exception of portable propane fire pits, gas or propane stoves for cooking or heating, gas or propane lanterns and patio heaters.

The maximum penalty for violating the ban is $25,000.

The Town of Banff issued its own fire ban Tuesday due to extreme fire conditions, and encouraged Banff residents and visitors to be aware of evacuation measures and prepare an emergency kit should conditions worsen.

In B.C., two wildfires north of Golden and another two south of Invermere, both listed as out of control and suspected to be sparked by lightning, are the closest fires to the park, according that province's website.

The national park joins the City of Calgary, Lethbridge County, Kneehill County, County of Two Hills, Smoky Lake County and a handful of other regions across the province under a total fire ban. Dozens of other areas, including most of Alberta north of Edmonton, have fire restrictions in place.

Environment Canada did lift the air quality advisory so the fire ban is something that we are revisiting today.

Carol Henke with the Calgary Fire Department said fire crews attended approximately 50 addresses over the weekend where people were either not aware of or ignoring the fire ban rules in the city.

Though the fire department doesn't issue tickets, Henke said once people had the situation explained to them, they were understanding.

“Our fire crews inform, educate and ensure the fire is extinguished,” she said, adding CFD is continually assessing the need for a fire ban.

“We, along with different city partners, are evaluating the situation. Environment Canada did lift the air quality advisory so the fire ban is something that we are revisiting today to see if we need to continue it or if we can lift the fire ban.”

Though air quality was listed at a 2 on Tuesday afternoon, wildfire smoke from B.C. and Saskatchewan continues to drift over the Calgary area, with air quality expected to worsen into the week, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.