It dodged a wildfire bullet thanks to heroic firefighting efforts in 2003; it dodged another one last year as wildfire ravaged Kootenay National Park and Kootenay Park Lodge is once again facing threat as Parks Canada has issued an evacuation order for the facility.

The evacuation order has been put in place due to the proximity of the Wardle fire to the lodge, the weather forecasted for the next two days and the dry conditions on the ground, Parks Canada reported in an update.

Parks Canada is currently managing a wildfire complex that includes a number of new lightning ignited wildfires in Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park.

Parks Canada is working in partnership with BC Wildfire Service in the management of the Whitetail Creek wildfire in the Beaverfoot Valley outside of Kootenay National Park.

“The safety of the public, our crews, infrastructure and neighbouring lands is Parks Canada’s top priority. Road closures, area closures and evacuation orders have been put in place,” Parks Canada stated this afternoon.

Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park is closed due to proximity of the fires to the highway as well as limited visibility from smoke.

On Tuesday, July 31, a large thunderstorm led to two lightning-ignited wildfires in the Kootenay Valley, south of Kootenay Crossing as well as two wildfires south of Vermilion Crossing in the Vermilion Valley. Both of these fires grew significantly with high winds associated with the storm and is currently estimated at 100-200 hectares. This fire is located on Mount Wardle.

An additional fire was confirmed in the Bow Valley on the slopes of Lipalian Mountain, east of the Hamlet of Lake Louise.

A Parks Canada fire crew was immediately dispatched to assess the new starts and are currently managing the fires. Significant progress has been made on the two new fires in the Kootenay Valley.

The additional fires in Vermillion valley and Bow Valley continue to be managed by helicopter bucketing, Parks Canada reports.

The Whitetail creek wildfire, north of Kootenay National Park in the Beaverfoot Valley continues to be managed by BC Wildfire in partnership with Parks Canada.

Parks Canada fire crews continue to monitor Kootenay and Banff national parks for new wildfires and are ready with the resources to respond quickly.

Area closures have been put in place for:
• The area near Luxor Pass trail, West Kootenay trail, Dolly Varden trail;
• The South Rockwall trail from Tumbling pass to Floe Lake trailhead;
• Honeymoon Pass trail, Hawk Creek trail and Simpson River trail;
• Day-use areas including Wardle Creek day-use area, Vermilion Crossing day-use area and Simpson’s Monument day-use area.
A fire ban is in effect for Redstreak campground in Kootenay National Park due to elevated fire danger.

All available resources have been deployed to these fires.

Check www.DriveBC.ca and www.511.alberta.ca for road closures.

Visit here for more information on closures.

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