Fire ban issued at Banff National Park due to drought-like conditions

Parks Canada has issued a fire ban for Banff National Park due to the elevated danger in the area.

According to a Friday news release, the park is experiencing drought-like conditions after several days of hot and dry weather. Dry forest fuels (branches, grass, logs, etc.) and dry organic layers (needles, decomposing fuels, soil, etc.) are contributing reasons, Parks Canada said.

The fire ban will be effective starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 13. Lighting or maintaining all open fires is strictly prohibited in the park and includes all front and backcountry campgrounds, as well as day-use areas.

The ban also prohibits the use of:

• wood or briquette campfires
• wood, charcoal or briquette barbecues
• outdoor wood-burning stoves
• turkey fryers
• tiki torches

The following items are permitted during the fire ban if they are under direct supervision and certified by the Canadian Standards Association or Underwriters Laboratories:

• portable propane fire pits
• gas or propane stoves and barbeques designed for cooking or heating
• propane or gas-fueled lanterns (flames are enclosed)
• patio heaters (propane, catalytic or infrared)
• indoor wood-burning stoves within fully enclosed permanent buildings, not wall tents or camper vans

Parks Canada said the ban also applies to the Lake Louise community.

“While we cannot avoid naturally occurring wildfires (ex: lightning strikes), we can avoid human-caused fires,” the release read.

Anyone who sees any wildfires, illegal campfires or suspicious smoke is asked to report to Banff Emergency Dispatch at 403-762-4506.