Crews get upper hand on huge wildfire in Banff National Park

On Tuesday, July 9th at approximately 5:30 pm crews conducted a successful burn out on the Spreading Creek Wildfire. (Parks Canada)

Fire crews have managed to contain a huge fire near Spreading Creek in Banff National Park and will continue to monitor the blaze to ensure it doesn’t spread any further.

The fire size is estimated to be about 2600 hectares, 700 of which are within the Banff Park boundaries.

Parks Canada and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development crews set up a control line at Murchison Creek and conducted a burn out in the fire zone on Tuesday to stop the blaze from spreading.

The operation involves setting a fire to consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line.

Crews were successful in burning out about 550 hectares to guide the fire into natural fire guards and will monitor the burn area over the next few days to reinforce the containment areas.

Smoke from the burn area can be seen from Highway 93N and Highway 11 and crews will be putting signage on the highway to ask motorists not to stop in the area.

The following areas are closed as a result of the fire: