Wildfire risk rising as temperatures climb in southern Alberta

As some northern Alberta communities are already battling blazes, some of the residents in Banff are hoping to get ahead of the wildfire season.

The wildfire risk is rising in southern Alberta, with temperatures expected to climb toward the 30 C mark over the next two days.

In the Calgary Forest Area, the fire risk has been raised to high, according to Alberta Wildfire.

“Extremely warm temperatures combined with very strong winds will continue to increase the wildfire danger over the coming days,” Alberta Wildfire said in an update Wednesday.

“Although cooler temperatures and the possibility of rain are in the forecast for the coming weekend, we are anticipating several days of high to very high wildfire danger.”

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Temperatures are expected to continue to climb on Wednesday and Thursday. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued heat warnings for the majority of Alberta, including Calgary and Edmonton.

“Daytime temperatures in the high 20s today will increase to reach 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Overnight lows will be near 14 degrees Celsius,” ECCC said.

“Temperatures will begin to cool on Thursday as a cold front moves eastward across the province.”

As of Wednesday morning, there were no active wildfires in the CFA. To date, the CFA has experienced 21 wildfires this year that have burned 32.82 hectares of land.

The Calgary Forest Area includes a large area in southwestern Alberta, stretching from areas west of Carstairs, Cochrane and Calgary, and down south past Blairmore.

Throughout Alberta’s forest areas, there were 40 active wildfires on Wednesday, with 18 considered under control, 20 out of control and two being held.

Banff fire preparations

In Banff National Park, which is not included in the forest area, the fire danger is considered moderate, according to a bulletin posted by Parks Canada on Tuesday.

“Under moderate fire danger conditions, fires generally spread along the surface of the ground with the occasional tree or clump of trees igniting. Ground crews with conventional firefighting equipment can usually contain these fires,” Parks Canada says on its website.

In preparation for another potentially active wildfire season, the Town of Banff got an upgrade to its fire prevention infrastructure on Wednesday, with the Mineral Springs Hospital unveiling a new wildland fire suppression system.

The 14 360-degree sprinklers, installed on the roof and on the ground near the facility, cover an approximate 45-metre radius to mitigate fire risk to the hospital and surrounding area.

“The system allows us to soak the entire site to a point of saturation. It’s much harder for an ember to turn into a full fire when everything is wet,” said Mike Hoffman, Covenant Health fire safety consultant.

There are roughly 25 long-term-care residents at the Mineral Springs Hospital.

“If we had to evacuate our hospital, it is going to take time, so this just gives us a little bit more time to get everybody moved,” said the hospital’s administrator, Margie Smith.

According to the town’s fire chief, preventing embers from starting a fire is a top priority.

“Wildfires are one of the biggest threats our community will face, and the (sprinkler) system, along with some of the other mitigation measures undertaken, will have significant impact,” said the town’s fire chief, Keri Martens.

Five of the sprinkler heads are permanently installed on the roof, and another nine are on the ground. It can soak the area in 30 minutes.

The hospital’s new sprinklers align with the Town of Banff’s roof sprinkler incentive program that allows eligible homeowners to buy a roof sprinkler kit at a reduced cost.

Residents can learn more about the program on the town’s website.

Any suspicious smoke or illegal campfires in the national park can be reported to Banff dispatch at [phone].