Hiking trails reopen at Sunshine Village as crews make progress against Verdant Creek wildfire

Some Alberta hiking trails that were closed because of the Verdant Creek wildfire in British Columbia are reopening Wednesday.

Crews have made enough progress in fighting the fire to allow Parks Canada to open trails in the Egypt Lake area and in Healy Pass near the provincial border.

• Sunshine Village reopens as crews keep Verdant Creek wildfire from spreading eastward

The 12-kilometre trail system up at Sunshine Meadows and Sunshine Village is also in the clear, Parks Canada said in a release.

Although the fire is still burning in Kootenay National Park and B.C.'s Assiniboine Provincial Park, it's not a threat to any Alberta communities in the Bow Valley, officials say.

More trails in the area might be reopened as the fire continues to be brought under control.

Sunshine Village spokesperson Kendra Scurfield says hikers could still see some smoke from the fire burning across the Continental Divide.

"But everything is contained and it's still happening quite a ways away, with the fire moving on," she said.

Sunshine Village was closed last weekend to allow crews to use the area as a staging ground to battle the Verdant Creek wildfire. The fire reachedto within 2.5 kilometres of the village last week.

A fire ban remains in effect in Banff, Kootenay and Yoho national parks. Backcountry camping permits in the Banff and Kootenay closure areas remain cancelled until further notice.

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