Water bombers attack brush fire burning east of Canmore
A brush fire burning west of Calgary made driving tricky Friday as first responders battled the blaze on the ground and by air.
The fire erupted over supper hour, near Lac des Arcs east of Canmore, sending smoke into the eastbound lanes of Hwy. 1.
Several first responders including Alberta Forestry attacked the fire which grew to over an acre, with planes and helicopters.
A number of travelers turned off Hwy. 1 onto 1A in order to avoid the smoke, and ended up watching in awe as firefighters tried to put the blaze out.
"They were hitting it very hard," said Callandra Caufield who was returning from a B.C. vacation that she described as 'essentially a fire-dodging trip'.
"The water bomber went through three, maybe four and when he left, there were two helicopters (that) came in and started to dump buckets on the fire."
"It's a big fire," she added. "On the ridge it's crawling up, it's a bare rock ridge, so hopefully that's going to slow it down but the wind is heavy. The wind is blowing very hard from west to east, driving towards Camp Chief Hector…so hopefully they can get it under control."
According to the Alberta Wildfire Status map, there are two out of control wildfires burning in central and southern Alberta. One is on the northern edge of Banff National Park and the other is near Rocky Mountain House.
According to the Alberta Wildfire Status map, there are two out of control wildfires burning in central and southern Alberta. One is on the northern edge of Banff National Park and the other is near Rocky Mountain House.
There's a fire ban in place for Town of Banff, along with national parks including Banff, Kootenay and Yoho.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.