Parks Canada working to keep Highway 5 traffic safe through smoke

Parks Canada says its staff are preparing in case wildfire smoke begins to severely affect visibility along Highway 5 from Fort Smith to Hay River.

The federal agency is responsible for wildfire management inside Wood Buffalo National Park, through which the highway runs for long stretches.

With multiple fires burning “vigorously” in the park, Parks Canada said late on Tuesday that smoke conditions could require careful driving at times.

“The Parks Canada Incident Management Team is developing plans to ensure the safe flow of traffic in the event smoke conditions cause prolonged impacts to the highway corridor,” Tuesday’s notice stated.

Fire danger inside Wood Buffalo National Park is rated extreme.

Four fires in the park either side of Highway 5 have been together dubbed the Bear Creek complex. The incident management team has six helicopters and two fire crews at its disposal to address those fires, with reinforcements on the way.