Overview

• Prolonged drought, early snowmelt, and low snowpack have heightened wildfire risks in Banff and Canmore, raising fears of a repeat of last summer’s devastating Jasper fire.
• Parks Canada has created new fire breaks, including the Carrot Creek fire guard, using logging and pruning to reduce forest fuel loads and slow fire spread.
• An Indigenous logging company was hired to clear land near Banff, with timber profits allocated for ongoing fire break maintenance.
• The Banff Fire Department has mapped over 300 homes with combustible roofs and developed evacuation plans for more than 9,000 residents and 20,000 summer tourists.
• Local participation in wildfire mitigation programs, such as removing flammable trees and installing sprinklers, has increased, though part-time residents remain less engaged.