Updated: July 19, 10:45 MST

Third wildfire reported July 19 at 8 p.m.

Three lightning strikes in the Jasper National Park backcountry have Parks Canada wildland firefighters in the air and on the ground.

Parks Canada is fighting three remote wildfires in Jasper National Park.

The latest fire is approximately 2 km west of the Moose Lake Loop hiking trail near Maligne Lake. The wildfire is approximately 0.2 ha. and is being actioned by Parks Canada fire fighters and supported by two helicopters with water buckets.

Utopia Wildfire

A lightning-caused wildfire above Utopia Pass, near Miette Hot Springs, has closed backcountry areas, closed the Miette Hotsprings and put nearby Miette Bungalows on evacuation notice.

The fire is currently estimated to be two hectares or four football fields in size.

Two firefighting crews and two helicopters are working to contain the Utopia wildfire. Additional resources are on standby. 

Miette Hot Springs and Fiddle River backcountry areas are closed to the public for wildfire operations. This includes Sulphur Skyline Trail, Source of the Springs Trail, Utopia Campground, Slide Creek Campground, and Whitehorse Campground.

The Miette Road is only accessible to guests and staff at Miette Bungalows, Miette Campground, and Miette Mountain Cabins. 

Needle Peak Wildfire

The July 18 lightning storm started a second wildfire in the Simon Creek drainage, on the slopes of Needle Peak, in a remote valley in the western part of Jasper National Park. A firefighting crew and helicopter are working to contain this wildfire. No people, trails or infrastructure are impacted by this wildfire.

Lightning in the forecast

Hot and dry conditions persist and more lightning is forecast for later today (July 19), according to Parks Canada. Fire personnel continue to monitor for new wildfire starts and are ready to respond.

Additional regional Parks Canada resources, including Incident Management Team members and Initial Attack crews, can be mobilized within hours, and national resources within two days, to assist with managing large wildfire events, a Parks Canada spokesperson said.

No drone zone; fire ban continues

Drone use in a wildfire situation poses unacceptable risks to aircraft and Parks Canada staff and contractors. The use of drones in the park is illegal and carries with it a fine of up to $25,000. 

A fire ban remains in place for all of Jasper National Park. 

For more information about the impact of smoke visit Alberta Health Services or call Health Link at 8-1-1.

Stay up to date:

You can find a live smoke forecast online at firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/ 

For road access updates call 5-1-1 or visit 511.alberta.ca/ 

Respect all area closures and restrictions: parks.canada.ca/jasper-alerts 

No matter what the weather or time of year, you can be prepared for any emergency. Here are some tips: alberta.ca/emergency-preparedness.aspx