Climbing
The 2024 Canadian wildfire season was one of the worst on record, torching over 13 million acres across the country. One of the most destructive fires crossed paths with the popular mountain town of Jasper, Alberta, where over 25,000 people were forced to evacuate the area. Destroying over one-third of the buildings in Jasper, the fire was not fully controlled for nearly two months.
Although the fire was fully controlled by September 7, hotspots still remain and many of the nearby Jasper National Park hiking trails remain closed. Despite the closure to most trails in the park, a group of eight hikers set out to summit Pyramid Mountain, a 17-mile, 5,800-foot elevation trek, on September 10.
Later that day, Jasper National Park dispatchers responded to an emergency call from the party for two “tired” hikers, according to the Jasper Local. No injuries were reported, and the two exhausted hikers were airlifted by helicopter. The evacuation attempt disrupted the wildfire fighting effort by taking one of the two helicopters out of action for three hours. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the eight hikers to be slapped with a hefty fine for hiking in the closed area by Parks Canada.
According to the Canada National Parks Act, convicted first-time offenders face a fine of up to CAD 25,000 (USD 18,284). The Jasper Local reported that Park Wardens have issued all eight hikers a court appearance notice per the Canada National Parks Act for Entering a Closed Area.
Jasper National Park media officers commented on the widely available information pertaining to the closure of the nearby trails, stressing that there had been “consistent public communication about areas closures through various channels, including on-site signage.”
The United States also has similar legal ramifications for entering closed areas in National Parks. The United States National Park Services regulations state that violators of 36 CFR 1.5, entering closed areas are subject to a fine of $5,000 and/or six months imprisonment.
