A three-hectare prescribed burn on the Pyramid bench has temporarily closed two trails.

The lower portion of Trail 3 to Cabin Lake and the south end of the New Slough trail are closed while the burning continues, which is part of the FireSmart program.

The burn is taking place between the town’s fire barrier and the Discovery trail, which remains open.

Parks Canada spokesperson Kim Weir said crews waited for perfect conditions to commence the burns, which are designed to protect the town from wildfire, restore ecological integrity and bring back elk habitat. The valley has been subject to drought for the past ten years, which causes stress on the trees and dries up the forest. May is likely the last month for prescribed burns near Jasper, Weir said, as June is often too damp, and July and August are too hot.

The prescribed burn gave Parks crews their first chance to use two new fire hydrants installed specifically for forest fires. Twenty-nine sprinklers were installed on the Pyramid bench to keep the fire from spreading, as 14 parks crew workers kept a close eye on the burn.

“Pumps often fail, but here, you’re turning on a tap,” said Dave Smith, fire specialist with Jasper National Park. He credits the town’s municipal force for having the foresight to install them.

Smith said the prescribed burns went smoothly, and took care of much of the ground vegetation, such as juniper bushes.

“This is the last step in the FireSmart program,” Smith said. “It eliminates the woody debris left over from the other work.”

Because the fires were so close to Jasper, the blazes were put out at the end of the day. Typically, larger fires burn overnight, however workers exercise more caution due to the proximity to the town.

“It’s so close to the backyards, so we keep it fully contained,” Smith said.

Weir said Parks Canada crews on average fight 20 forest fires per year near the townsite. The FireSmart program helps slow the spread of those fires.

Crews are also combatting Douglas Fir beetles with the prescribed burns, which introduces a ‘new volatile fuel’ to the valley, Smith said. Trees attacked by the beetle burn at hotter temperatures, and can spread quickly, he said.

“The potential for intense fire is there,” Smith said.