Jasper’s forest fire risk was raised to high over the August 20-22 weekend, before rain poured down on the park, snuffing the risk back down to low. 

Kim Weir, fire communications officer for Jasper National Park, said 18 mm of rain fell over the weekend. “That’s put us into low fire danger,” she said. 

Accompanying the rain was a bit of lightning, but Weir said there were no fires started over the weekend. A helicopter crew searched the park and no signs of fire were detected. 

“The lightning didn’t dig in deep enough,” she said. 

Further helping the fire risk is the cooler temperatures that are trapping humidity lower to the ground, and vegetation is well watered. 

“Things are still quite green out there,” Weir said. The rain also helped disperse the smoke that had settled into the Athabasca Valley over the previous week that was effecting tour operators of all types in Jasper. Weir said it is unknown whether the smoke is expected to reappear. Conditions depend on weather and wind directions. 

But it’s not time to celebrate the end of the fire season just yet. “Fire season seems to be expanding further into fall,” Weir said. She added that it is not uncommon anymore for fires to still be raging into September and early October. 

Weir offered some insight into why the season is now a summer and fall phenomenon. “We’re getting really nice, warm, dry falls,” she said. 

While that extended summer-like season is a blessing for the tourism industry, it can provide the perfect conditions for a late forest fire. 

Wildfires can cause destruction and threaten air quality, but Weir said they are part of the forest’s natural life. 

“We need that important natural fire,” she said. Fires help burn up fuel on the ground so that larger fires don’t get out of control. Animal habitat improves, and more plants and vegetation flourish in the wake of a burn. 

“It’s nice when we can get fire on the landscape,” Weir said. 

The Jasper National Park’s forest fire management not only helps protect people and structures in the event of a fire, they also hold prescribed burns to lower the risk of an out-of-control wildfire. 

“We have plans for certain locations,” Weir said. 

This spring was far too dry for any burns to be lit by parks staff, but Weir said they are hoping to do some this fall. 

“Unfortunately the conditions that have to be met to actually light a fire in a certain location are so specific,” Weir said. 

For now Parks staff are waiting for the weather, moisture, soil and atmosphere conditions to align in order to begin prescribed burns. 

Parks is looking at two areas to conduct burns this fall. The Vine Creek area located 20 kilometres north of Jasper is a 725 hectare portion of land that Parks has been working in. 

“We’ve done fire guard work for a number of years there,” Weir said. 

The second area is the Fiddle Creek Fire Guard, at the eastern gates of the Jasper National Park to the Athabasca River. Parks Canada is working in partnership with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development on the project. 

The hope is to build a fire guard to protect eastern communities such as Brule and Hinton, as well as around the Athabasca Valley.

“We’ll be kind of biting off chunks of landscape,” Weir said. 

The added benefit will be the restoration of aspens in both areas. 

“We’re really crossing our fingers that we’re able to get something off,” Weir said of the prescribed burns.

While they wait for the conditions to be just right, Parks Canada has sent 27 crew members to assist forest fire efforts in B.C. Those numbers include Jasper’s four-member initial attack crew, and a seven person fire management team. 

“We’re going to help the provinces,” Weir said. Jasper’s fire specialist just returned from helping in B.C. as well. 

Weir stresses that the Jasper National Park has not been left high and dry should a forest fire break out. 

“Even though our Initial Attack crew has gone to help B.C. we have other trained staff that are able to respond and provide stand-by if need be,” she said.

Weir said it’s nice to help out areas that are in need, because if a forest fire were to happen in our area, the favour would be returned. 

“It’s nice to be able to work with other agencies,” Weir said. “Fire knows no boundaries.”

Parks Canada isn’t the only agency sending crews to help B.C.

Jacob Forman, operations manager for Yellowhead Helicopters, said they have sent their pilots and aircraft to northern B.C.’s Caribou region to assist in fire efforts as well. The Valemount-based company has helicopters working on all aspects of fire fighting between Williams Lake and Vanderhoof, B.C. The crews are assisting in moving fire crews, dumping water buckets on fires, mapping and aerial reconnaissance and lighting prescribed burns. The prescribed burns are being done to destroy fuels that could further a forest fire. The concern of visibility through smoke also applies to flying, he added. “At this point we can still fly.”

Helicopter crews have been pulled out of smoke-filled areas closer to the fires in northern B.C. 

Yellowhead Helicopters has contracts across the country to help in wildfire efforts each summer from B.C. to Quebec. In total Yellowhead has 15 aircraft. In recent years they have spent much of their time assisting B.C.’s efforts. 

“Obviously the last couple years in B.C. here has been pretty busy,” Forman said, adding that usually the fire situation switches to different provinces every year. 

Forman believes the problem in B.C. may be arising from the Mountain Pine Beetle problem, that has killed off many trees and left tinder-dry fuel in its wake. 

When not providing sight-seeing and fire relief, the helicopter company also works in the oil and mining industries in remote locations. It seems Yellowhead never has an idle moment. 

“We do all kinds of things,” Forman said. “Helicopters prove to be a useful tool.”