To protect local communities and promote forest health, a prescribed fire will begin in the Kananaskis area in next few days, if weather conditions allow.

The 408-hectare Evan-Thomas prescribed fire project area is located approximately 30 kilometres southeast of Canmore and five kilometres southeast of Kananaskis Village on Highway 40 in Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park.

The 2011 fire season has dramatically illustrated how dangerous and destructive uncontrollable wildfires can be. Prescribed fires are an important tool the province uses to keep communities safe and promote forest health. The Evan-Thomas prescribed fire will:

- create a fire break that will help protect nearby communities from the threat of wildfire;
- restore the diversity of vegetation in the area; and
- improve and expand wildlife habitat.

Portions of the Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park will be closed to ensure public safety during burning operations. Backcountry users may be impacted by temporary trail and facility closures and are advised to confirm trail status prior to use. Travellers on Highway 40 are urged to use caution and expect delays.

Smoke will be visible during burning operations and may settle into nearby valleys overnight and early morning periods. Every effort will be made to minimize the impact of smoke by burning when conditions allow the smoke to be vented high into the atmosphere.

The fire operation is expected to take several days, depending on weather conditions and how they might affect burning. Regular updates on the status of the prescribed fire will be available online at www.Kananaskis-Country.ca or by calling 1-866-916-INFO.

The airspace around the prescribed fire will be restricted to fire-related aircraft only.