A prescribed fire that threatened a hotel and horse corrals in Banff National Park in Alberta is now considered to be ‘under control.’
The Compound Meadows fire was intentionally set just outside the Banff townsite early in the week but unexpected winds pushed the blaze across a street and placed a cemetery, resort, an event tent and several horses in peril.
Hundreds of people and roughly 10 horses were evacuated from the area but were permitted to return late Wednesday after fire crews limited the spread of flames from the ground while helicopters doused the blaze from above.
Parks Canada announced Saturday evening that the fire had been reduced to approximately three hectares and no longer threatened areas outside the boundaries of the prescribed section. Crews remained in the area to ensure hot spots didn’t reignite.
The Compound Meadows area, which extends on either side of Banff Avenue in an area between the Trans-Canada Highway to the north and the Tunnel Mountain Campground to the south, remained closed to the public.
The Legacy Trail has reopened to cyclists and pedestrians and Banff Avenue was open to traffic in the area but with speed limit reductions.