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Wildfires close Highway 93 from Radium Hot Springs to Alberta border until Aug. 5

Click to play video: 'Drivers heading west of Calgary face delays, closures over long weekend'
Drivers heading west of Calgary face delays, closures over long weekend
WATCH: It will be anything but a smooth ride for people with long weekend plans to the west of Calgary. As Christa Dao reports, drivers can expect long delays and closures because of raging wildfires and construction work – Aug 3, 2018

Highway 93 from Radium Hot Springs, B.C. to the Alberta border will remain closed until Sunday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m. PT at the earliest.

DriveBC says wildfires burning in close proximity to the highway have made it too dangerous for motorists to drive that stretch of road.

The highway was closed Wednesday.

Parks Canada is currently managing three lightning-ignited wildfires in Kootenay, Yoho and Banff national parks.

None of these fires pose a risk to local communities, but there is dense smoke in the area and limited visibility.

All trails, backcountry campgrounds and day-use areas from the Rockwall Trail south to the Dolly Varden Trail are closed at this time.

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A fire ban is in place for Kootenay, Yoho and Banff national parks due to the elevated fire danger.

WATCH: Wed, Aug 1: Wildfires closed Highway 93 from Radium Hot Springs to the Alberta border

Click to play video: 'Wildfires force closure of Highway 93 from Radium Hot Springs to Alberta border'
Wildfires force closure of Highway 93 from Radium Hot Springs to Alberta border

In the south of Kootenay National Park, access from Radium Hot Springs to McLeod Meadows is open, including the Radium Hot Pools.

In the north of Kootenay National Park, access to Paint Pots from the Junction of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) is open.

All day-use areas, trails and campgrounds south of McLeod Meadows are open.

All day-use areas, trails and campgrounds north of the Paint Pots are open, including Paint Pots Trail, however the Helmet-Ochre Junction Trail beyond the Paint Pots is closed. Storm Mountain Lodge remains open.

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Columbia Valley communities and businesses remain open. Alternate routes, such as Highways 1 and 95 through Golden, B.C., add approximately one additional hour of driving time.

Coverage of B.C. wildfires on Globalnews.ca:

The lightning-ignited Wardle wildfire in the Vermilion Valley is now estimated at 1,200 hectares. Helicopters are bucketing the edges of the fire, and crews will be deployed on the ground as soon as it is safe to do so. People in the area will see heavy smoke from this fire.

The Whitetail Creek wildfire, west of Kootenay National Park in the Beaverfoot Valley, is now 290 hectares and is 15 per cent contained. It is 35 per cent guarded.

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This fire is classified as out of control.

The spot fire on the slopes of Lipalian Mountain in the Bow Valley, east of the Hamlet of Lake Louise, is contained at approximately 0.1 ha in size and is expected to be extinguished.

Parks Canada crews are also responding to a new lightning-ignited spot fire near Hamilton Lake in Yoho National Park. Helicopters are also on scene to help fight this fire.

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