US EditionLogging, pruning and anxiety in Banff ahead of first summer since Jasper wildfire
- In 2025, Parks Canada contracted a logging firm owned by Indigenous people to clear multiple hectares of land near Banff as a measure to lower wildfire risk.
- This measure responds to decades of fire suppression since the early 1900s that allowed dense forests to become tinderboxes.
- Banff’s fire department maps show about 300 homes with combustible roofs, placing residents and over 20,000 summer tourists at high risk from ember-driven fires.
- A former Parks Canada fire co-ordinator warned that the upcoming wildfire in the area could be extraordinarily severe, citing factors such as drought conditions, earlier-than-usual snowmelt, and a reduced snowpack compared to 2023.
- Fire specialists say managing forests must accelerate, combining Indigenous practices and community involvement to avoid uncontrolled wildfires and forced evacuations.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Logging, Pruning and Anxiety in Banff Ahead of First Summer Since Jasper Wildfire
Looking out over a budding meadow with blackened tree stumps on the edge of Banff National Park, Cliff White points to a dark thicket of trees where the empty plot ends. “The next fire in here is going to be incredible,” says the former Parks Canada fire management co-ordinator, standing in the expansive Carrot Creek fire break. The meadow was shorn more than 20 years ago by Parks Canada to slow future wildfires in their tracks before reaching B…
Banff Prepares for First Summer Since Jasper Fire - Canada English
BANFF — Observing a budding prairie with blackened strains on the edge of Banff National Park, Cliff White refers to a dark grove where the empty parcel ends. "The next fire here will be incredible," says the former Parks Canada Fire Management Coordinator, standing in the vast Carrot Creek Firewall. The prairie was mowed more than 20 years ago by Parks Canada to slow down future forest fires before they reached Banff and Canmore.
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