Wildfire west of Banff continues to move south but is not growing in size, says Parks Canada

Fire crews battling the wildfire west of Banff say they have managed to prevent it from spreading in key locations, according to Parks Canada.

While the flames continue to move south into B.C.'s Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, which is just west of the Alberta border, the size of the Verdant Creek fire hasn't changed since Thursdayholding at roughly2,500 to 3,000 hectares.

"The fire remains on the west side of the Continental Divide, approximately 24 kilometres from the Town of Banff and approximately 2.5 km from Sunshine Village," said Parks Canada in a release.

"It is not currently threatening any local communities."

• 'Tactical closure' of Sunshine Village to help crews battle wildfire near Banff
• Calgary air quality improves as smoke from wildfires clears

However, closures remain in both Kootenayand Banff national parks, specificallythe Egypt Lake andBrewsterCreek areas.

Sunshine Village was closed Friday to serve as a staging area for crews.There 75 peopleand six helicopters currently battling the flames.

A fire ban remains in effect for all mountain national parks to avoid human-caused fires.

• See the latest information on the Verdant fire
• 'Know before you go': B.C. urgesAlbertansnot to cancel vacations, just proceed with caution

Trails and backcountry campsites remain closed but the agency says there are still areas in Banff, Yoho and Kootenaynational parks that are open to visitors.

A few suggested areas are:

• Silverton Falls.
• Rockbound Lake.
• Marble Canyon.
• Stanley Glacier Trail Shadow Lake Lodge and other tourism operations in the area remain open.
• Hawk Creek Trail to Ball Pass as well as Redearth Trail to Ball Pass both remain open at this time.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Calgary man who claims neck was sliced by barbed wire on mountain biking trail charged with fraud
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Lethbridge man charged with violent sexual assault back in court for 17th time as delays continue