Winter weather to extinguish remaining Chetamon Mountain wildfire hot spots: Parks Canada

Snow covers some hot spots of the Chetamon Mountain wildfire on Nov. 1, 2022 (Source: Parks Canada).

Staff will continue to monitor the Chetamon Mountain wildfire over the winter, with Jasper National Park officials hoping the snow and cooler temperatures will help to extinguish any remaining hot spots.

The Chetamon wildfire continues to be held and supervised by emergency crews, Parks Canada said Thursday.

Despite receiving two centimetres of snow this week, officials say it cannot be downgraded in status to under control.

"This wildfire will remain classified as being held until the spring when fire specialists can reassess when the snow is gone," Parks Canada said in a statement.

The fire was initially sparked by lightning on Sept. 1. It quickly swelled in size and caused disruptions to the powerlines supplying Jasper National Park over the summer, causing several days where the Jasper townsite relied on emergency generators.

Twenty-five days later, the national park agency announced it would cease firefighting efforts on the wildfire, citing the ecological benefits to limit future starts and that it posed no threat to communities.

Fire specialists have now pegged the size of the blaze as 6,450 hectares. It still does not pose any threat to any communities.

After providing daily updates in the first month of fire activity, then weekly since Oct. 6, Parks Canada says it will now provide information to the public about the fire only if the "situation evolves."

Parks Canada will maintain an area closure of all facilities and recreation areas within the wildfire's perimeter until spring 2023.

"Winter storms and snow will not only help to extinguish hot spots, but also help topple fire-weakened trees throughout the wildfire area," Parks Canada said.