More fire bans enacted in southeastern Alberta

Another fire ban has been put in place for southeastern Alberta, this one in the Calgary Forest Area running fromHighway 532 south of Longview along the mountains and foothills, to the northern boundary ofWatertonLakes National Park.

"The continued hot and dry weather across much of southern Alberta has created an extreme fire hazard. That's why we are taking these steps to help reduce the risk of human-caused fires," saidOneilCarlier, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, in a statement.

Gas and propane stoves or barbecues andportable propane fire pits are still allowed during the ban.

• Fire restrictions, bans in effect across large swaths of southern Alberta

There are a number of fire bans in place around southern Alberta, including:

• Rocky View County
• Municipal District of Foothills
• Banff National Park
• Town of Banff
• Kneehill County
• Vulcan County
• Red Deer County
• City of Red Deer
• Lethbridge County
• City of Lethbridge
• M.D. of Taber
• Lacombe County
• Town of Sylvan Lake
• Calgary Forest Area

Anyone found violating the ban can be fined $287 and if a fire spreads, those responsible can be levied the cost of fighting it.

Highway 93 South reopened

Highway 93 South is once again open between Castle Junction in Alberta and Radium Hot Springs in B.C., but officials warn wildfire activity in the area could force the roadway to be closed on short notice.

The stretch of road has been opened and closed several times in recent days due to activity from the Wardle wildfire, burning in the Vermilion Crossing area of southeastern B.C., which was sparked by a lightning storm on July 31.

The fire had reached 2,800 hectares in size on Saturday.

Drivers should be aware visibility may be hampered by smoke.

Evacuation alert remains

A precautionary evacuation alert remains in place for the Castle Mountain Resort and Pincher Creek areas, due to the Sage Creek fire, burning just over the B.C. border.

It affects all homes at the resort, west and south of Castle valleys and all areas south of Highway 774 from the turnoff to Beaver Mines Lake to the resort.

There is also a complete fire ban in place for both the municipal district and the town of Pincher Creek.

Check Alberta511 and DriveBC for the latest updates on highway closures.

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