Trail and campgrounds set to re-open in Waterton Lakes National Park

Parks Canada will re-open Friday one of two trails closed in Waterton Lakes National Park due to the Boundary Valley wildfire, which crossed the Canada-U.S. border last week.

The Bertha Lake Trail and backcountry campgrounds at Bertha Lake and Bertha Bay will re-open at 10 a.m. Friday.

Lakeshore Trail will remain closed.

• Waterton wildfire 14% contained as water bombing continues
• Wildfire crosses U.S.-Canada border near Waterton Lakes National Park

Cool temperatures prevented the 1,100-hectare fire from growing in recent days, said Parks Canada spokesman John Stoesser.

With similar temperatures and rain and snow expected this week, officials hope to get a better handle on the fire, which was 14 per cent contained as of Thursday.

Initial attack teams from Banff, Kootenay and Grasslands national parksare working on the ground under thedirection of the U.S. NorthernRockiesType 1 Incident Management Team. They'recontinuing to extinguishany hot spots that may be present,saysParks Canada.

The U.S. team and Parks Canada are co-ordinating efforts and are in constant communication, according to a release.

The fire started Aug. 23 in Boundary Valley, a few kilometres south of Waterton Lakes National Park on the U.S. side of the border.

Parks Canada has one helicopter and three initial attack crews usually made up of between three and five firefighters battling the blaze.

The Waterton townsite remains open but the Bison Paddock outlook, which includes road access to Horseshoe Trail, is closed as it is being used as a staging area for helicopters.

Waterton was devastated by the Kenow wildfire a year ago. It consumed more than 190 square kilometres within the park an area twice the size of Grande Prairie.

About 80 per cent of the park's popular hiking trails were affected.

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