Wildfire prompts closure of sections of Banff and Kootenay National Parks

Pink sky and falling ash at the Fireside trailhead in Banff on July 15, 2017 as a wildfire raged on in the Verdant Creek area of Kootenay National Park

A mountainous backcountry area along the Alberta and British Columbia border has been closed to the public as a wildfire rages on.

According to Parks Canada, a fire in the Verdant Creek region of B.C. has raised public safety concerns in an area east of Highway 93 and south of the Trans-Canada Highway. The closed area includes:

Backcountry camping permits in the closed area are void until further notice and Parks Canada staff is evacuating backcountry users from trails and campsites.

At this time, Highway 93 remains open to traffic.

For updated information on the wildfire and closures, visit Kootenay National Park warnings and closures or Banff National Park important bulletins.