Banff National Park officials believe fire near Vermilion Lakes was human-caused

Park officials believe a wildfire west of Vermilion Lakes in Banff National Park, which was quickly extinguished Friday, was started by a cigarette.

The fire was reported at around 2:30 p.m. and was adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway and a paved walking path.

Fire crews from the Town of Banff and Parks Canada brought the fire under control within the hour and extinguished it completely by 3:30 p.m.

Banff National Park officials believe the fire was human-caused by “potentially the careless tossing of a cigarette.”

“This serves as a reminder that during this time of year, grassy areas can be quite dry, increasing the risk of wildfires. We urge visitors to properly dispose of cigarettes when hiking, cycling or driving,” said park officials on social media.

However, no further details on the cause have been provided.

Meanwhile, park officials are reminding the public that illegal fires outside designated fire rings can “easily get out of control under these conditions and pose a serious threat.”

They are asking campers to use fire pits, to keep campfires small, use locally sourced firewood, and to “completely extinguish them with water.”

“Never leave your campfire unattended,” officials say.

There are 19 active wildfires in the province–15 current-year fires–according to the Alberta Wildfire Status dashboard, with one out of control in the Grande Prairie Forest Area. Ninety-eight have been extinguished this year, 10 in the Calgary forest area.

This also comes after a grass fire east of Elk Island National Park, minutes from Edmonton, spread to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Friday evening. Firefighters brought it under control shortly after.

Officials with Alberta Wildfire say the wildfire risk in several forest management areas has been elevated due to warmer temperatures and wind.