logo
  • News
    • Community
    • Local Government
    • Sports
    • Alberta Politics
    • Opinion
    • Deke
  • Events
  • Jasper Builds
  • Peaks & Valleys
    • Wildlife
    • Hiking and Climbing
    • Biking
    • Fishing
    • Snow Sports
  • Culture
    • Jasper Arts & Culture
    • Local Dining
    • Local Literature
  • Jasper History
  • Support
    • News
      • Community
      • Local Government
      • Sports
      • Alberta Politics
      • Opinion
      • Deke
    • Events
    • Jasper Builds
    • Peaks & Valleys
      • Wildlife
      • Hiking and Climbing
      • Biking
      • Fishing
      • Snow Sports
    • Culture
      • Jasper Arts & Culture
      • Local Dining
      • Local Literature
    • Jasper History
    • Support
Illegal wildfire out but dry conditions remain
News
By Bob Covey
Friday, June 21, 2024
Illegal wildfire out but dry conditions remain

Parks Canada fire officials are reminding the public of the dangers of illegal campfires after a close call with a human-ignited wildfire on the Pyramid Bench.

At 10 a.m. on June 18 Jasper National Park’s initial attack wildfire team responded to a small fire on trail 2i near Katrine Lake. The fire was reported at 9:20 a.m. Despite the mild weather Jasper has experienced this spring, conditions are dry and potentially dangerous, said Fire and Vegetation Specialist Landon Shepherd.

“That fire was able to burn quite hot, even though we had a couple millimetres of rain the night before,” Shepherd said. “That shows us a lightning strike could smoulder away in a sheltered pocket.”

Fire officials investigating the Katrine Lake wildfire found a five-by-five metre area had burned. Discarded food remnants and no signs of any lightning strikes indicate it was human-caused, Shepherd said.

“It’s pretty suspicious,” he said.

This week there have been multiple lightning storms. Jasper National Park uses ground-based detection equipment to give fire personnel a rough idea where fires might occur, but the results aren’t pinpoint-accurate. Following a storm, fire officials pay attention to the areas triangulated by the meteorological technology—particularly if those areas are in remote locations.

“In our busy transportation corridors we have lots of eyes, especially at this time of year,” Shepherd said.

Currently the fire danger rating in Jasper National Park is “moderate.” Shepherd and his team rely on weather stations across the park, including stations near Ranger Creek (south), Dorothy Lake (west), Devona (east) and Willow Creek (north) to determine the rating. The Jasper Weather Station, near Maligne Canyon’s Fifth Bridge, also helps them determine where to set the scale. This year that station shows that between April and June, Jasper has received only half as much rain as what usually falls. 

Those data make the message to keep fires small, and in designated pits, all the more urgent, Shepherd said. 

In a national park, burning illegally could lead to a fine of $25,000. 


Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

Articles You May LIke ›
Walking Through Fire: Vegetation
Environment
Walking Through Fire: Vegetation
Kirsten Schmitten 
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Part 1: Pioneer species on a fire-affected landscape Driving into the park a month after the 2024 Jasper Wildfire, we braced ourselves for a charred-e...
this is a test
Alberta Politics
Six months after it burned, Jasper is being gaslit by the Alberta government
Bob Covey 
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
It’s been six months since Jasper was evacuated due to the threat of a massive wildfire roaring down the Athabasca Valley. On Friday, January 24, it w...
this is a test
Arts & Culture
Vancouver theatre production gives Jasper the stage
Bob Covey 
Saturday, January 4, 2025
A Christmas Carol With a Twist will screen at the Jasper Legion A play about Christmas Past is helping strengthen Jasper’s future. For the last three ...
this is a test
Community
Ashes of a broken system: Reimagining Jasper’s tourism future, post-wildfire
Lindsey Gartner & Brooklyn Rushton 
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Beneath surface-level discussions and debates around the Jasper wildfire lies a more complex reality. This fire is not just an isolated event, but par...
this is a test
Most Read ›
The dukes of hazard trees
Environment
The dukes of hazard trees
Bob Covey 
Monday, July 7, 2025
When normal forestry practices don’t cut it: With a light-on-the-land touch, specialized arborists are cleaning up Jasper’s burn debris It’s a widely-...
this is a test
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
News
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
Lucas Habib 
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Jasper soccer players have once again brought home a provincial soccer championship. Jaifred Mota was the first one to rush keeper Kieran Rudge after ...
this is a test
Latest ›
Golf’s golden years at Jasper Park
Jasper History
Golf’s golden years at Jasper Park
John Wilmshurst, freelance contributor 
Monday, June 23, 2025
100 years ago, the Jasper Park Golf Club teed up its first round of the Royal and Ancient Game In 1457, King James II of England banned golf in Scotla...
this is a test
Two hikers killed by rockfall event at Bow Glacier Falls
Environment
Two hikers killed by rockfall event at Bow Glacier Falls
Friday, June 20, 2025
The Rockies hiking community is mourning the loss of two of its members today. Calgary's Jutta Hinrichs, 70 years old, a member of the hiking group Sl...
this is a test
The bear necessities
Environment
The bear necessities
Bob Covey 
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Collars, fences and attractant elimination keys to bear management Jasper National Park bear biologists are keeping a close eye on area grizzlies. At ...
this is a test
CONGRATULATIONS Class of 2025
Community
CONGRATULATIONS Class of 2025
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Congratulations to the 2025 graduates of Jasper Jr/Sr High School and École Desrochers! These bright young individuals are now stepping confidently in...
this is a test

NEXT ARTICLE

Flag raising ceremony honours survivors

Community, Education, Local Indigenous, News

Most Read ›
The dukes of hazard trees
Environment
The dukes of hazard trees
Bob Covey 
Monday, July 7, 2025
When normal forestry practices don’t cut it: With a light-on-the-land touch, specialized arborists are cleaning up Jasper’s burn debris It’s a widely-...
this is a test
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
News
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
Lucas Habib 
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Jasper soccer players have once again brought home a provincial soccer championship. Jaifred Mota was the first one to rush keeper Kieran Rudge after ...
this is a test
Latest ›
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
News
Pitch perfect: Jasper U15 Football Club provincial champs
Lucas Habib 
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Jasper soccer players have once again brought home a provincial soccer championship. Jaifred Mota was the first one to rush keeper Kieran Rudge after ...
this is a test
The dukes of hazard trees
Environment
The dukes of hazard trees
Bob Covey 
Monday, July 7, 2025
When normal forestry practices don’t cut it: With a light-on-the-land touch, specialized arborists are cleaning up Jasper’s burn debris It’s a widely-...
this is a test
Walking Through Fire: Wildlife
Environment
Walking Through Fire: Wildlife
Kirsten Schmitten 
Friday, July 4, 2025
Part 2: Home is where the hearth is In Part 1 of our Walking Through Fire series , we discussed how post-fire vegetation bounces back. But what about ...
this is a test
Float on: Canada Day Parade gallery
Arts & Culture
Float on: Canada Day Parade gallery
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Jasperites donned their red and white, kitted out their floats and paraded around the community with pride on Canada Day (Tuesday, July 1). Local busi...
this is a test
This site complies with Jasper requirements
Contact us
Privacy Policy
Advertise With Us
About The Jasper Local
Accessibility Policy
Support

Follow Us

Advertise with us

Measurable, targeted, local. Email example@thejasperlocal.com

ePaper
coogle_play
app_store

© Copyright The Jasper Local