Chetamon wildfire threatens highway linking Alberta and B.C.
Posted September 11, 2022 10:11 am.
Last Updated September 11, 2022 10:14 am.
Strong winds could blow smoke from Jasper’s Chetamon wildfire across a major highway linking Alberta and B.C., Parks Canada is warning.
Parks Canada says increased smoke may reduce visibility on Highway 16.
The parks authority says a highway closure is the last resort.
From Friday: Chetamon wildfire in Jasper continues to burn, now 5600 hectares
But Parks Canada and the RCMP say they are prepared to use traffic control on Highway 16 if needed.
The lightning-sparked blaze has burned on a steep and inaccessible mountain slope, approximately 20 kilometres north of the Jasper townsite, since Sept. 1.
No communities are threatened, though authorities have asked that visitors stay away from Jasper National Park.
The Chetamon wildfire burns in Jasper National Park. (Courtesy: Parks Canada)
