Parks Canada is reviewing its waste disposal practices after sparks from a burn pit at the Jasper Transfer Station ignited a wildfire earlier this week.
On Monday afternoon at approximately 4 p.m. Parks Canada received a report of suspicious smoke emanating from approximately 10 km east of the Jasper townsite. The reporting party was hiking in the Old Fort Point area when they spotted the smoke.
Jasper National Park Resource Conservation Manager David Argument said thanks to the report, Parks Canada was able to locate a grassfire burning at the Jasper Transfer Station. The 0.8 hectare fire was contained by 6:50 p.m., according to Parks Canada.
Having the early report was crucial to a timely response, Argument said.
“That was very much appreciated,” he said. “Public reporting is an important part of the fire program.”
The grassfire crossed through the chainlink fence around the Transfer Station before it was contained. But the larger concern was that the fire had spread to some of the cells where hazardous materials were present.
“That’s not something our wildfire crews have to deal with,” Argument said. “It’s not something we’re trained or equipped for.”
As a result, the Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade—equipped as they are with appropriate PPE and breathing apparatuses—was called in to help manage the fire. Argument called the cooperation between JNP wildfire specialists and the municipal firefighters “key.”
“They were able to assist with managing the small localized ignition within some of the waste,” he said, noting the fire had spread into cells containing scrap metal and creosote timbers—which had to be dug up to be fully extinguished.
The Jasper Transfer Station has earthen berms where staff members, in consultation with a fire management officer, burn woody debris. The cells typically contain clean construction material and yard waste, Argument said.
As a result of recent community efforts to clean up flammable materials and dead organics, the berms contained a higher-than-normal accumulation of burnable materials, Argument said. After being lit last Thursday, the pits smouldered over the weekend, as is normal practice. But on Monday, gusting winds in the valley bottom rekindled the flames and threw sparks onto the nearby cured grasses.
When the wildfire started, it burned towards Highway 16 before being contained.
“We deployed three four-person fire crews and three fire specialists to make sure we had a good grasp on the situation,” Argument said.
In the wake of the fire, the agency will look at its practices when it comes to its burn pits at the Transfer Station, Argument said.
“We’ll look at how much material is going into the berms, and our monitoring practices and reviewing if those berms are the best ways to manage that.”
Argument said the incident serves as a reminder that this time of year there are more flammable organics on the landscape.
“This time of year, before we see green up, is a period where dried, cured vegetation is more flammable and we’re more concerned with early spring fires,” he said.
Unrelated fire incident
The night before the Jasper Transfer Station fire, a transport truck caught fire on Highway 16. Jasper RCMP said that their preliminary investigation suggests the truck fire was mechanical in nature.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
