Crews in Jasper National Park are preparing for a controlled burn expected to take place within the next month. In a media release Friday, Parks Canada said fire management specialists will ignite a prescribed burn at Southesk Lake in the park’s southeastern corner when conditions are favourable between September and early October. The agency said it will proceed only if specific weather and environmental conditions are met. The remote area, located 70 kilometres southeast of the Jasper townsite and 90 kilometres south of Hinton, is bordered by several containment features, including a fireguard created by a previous wildfire and another built by crews last year in preparation for the burn. Parks Canada said the work is intended to reduce mountain pine beetle habitat, improve forest resilience to wildfire and help restore the area’s historic fire cycle. The agency will close the Southesk Valley during the prescribed burn, which is expected to last several days. Parks Canada said the fire could produce significant smoke visible from the South Boundary Trail and nearby provincial lands.
