RCMP Warn of Unsafe Fires Near Canmore Heliport

Canmore RCMP are warning residents about unsafe outdoor fires after police said authorities have been called multiple times this summer to fires near the Alpine Helicopters heliport, an area surrounded by forest and located just west of the Trans-Canada Highway.

But records from Canmore Fire-Rescue paint a somewhat different picture of the summer.

The fire department says it has not responded to any reports of illegal fires, campfires or smoke around the heliport in 2026 and does not consider illegal fires in Canmore's wooded areas to be a recurring public-safety concern this year.

The differing accounts come after RCMP posted a photo of a fire burning in a wooded area near the heliport, along with a map indicating its approximate location.

Police said Canmore RCMP, Canmore firefighters and the Town of Canmore had been called "multiple times during the summer about very unsafe and out of control fires" near the helicopter operation.

The heliport is home to Alpine Helicopters, whose aircraft are used for emergency rescue operations across a large portion of southern Alberta.

RCMP did not provide details about when the fires occurred, how many incidents had been reported or whether anyone had been charged.

"The purpose behind it was to highlight the importance of fire safety and the potential consequences associated with being responsible for having fires in places that there should be none or in a manner that could lead to an out of control fire," Canmore RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sgt. Greg Tulloch told Bow Valley Insider in an email.

Tulloch said police were not providing additional information about their responses to incidents at the location.

"I have no data to disseminate regarding warnings or charges," he said.

Fire-Rescue Has No Record of Heliport Calls

Asked separately about its response this summer, the Town of Canmore said its records show no fire department responses to illegal fires, campfires or smoke around Alpine Helicopters.

"The Town of Canmore Fire-Rescue team has not responded to any reports of illegal fires, campfires, or reports of smoke in the area around Alpine Helicopters this year," Town communications advisor Nicky Pacas said.

Fire-Rescue did respond to a small woodland fire behind Canmore's wastewater treatment plant on July 22, according to the Town, and crews were able to quickly extinguish it.

The Town said that incident was separate from the heliport area.

More broadly, the municipality said Fire-Rescue has not responded to any incidents it categorizes as human-caused or illegally lit outdoor fires in Canmore so far this year.

The Town also said it has not seen evidence that illegal fires in wooded or undeveloped areas have become a broader trend.

"Response numbers remain low and in line with historical norms, and we haven't seen a pattern that raises this to a priority issue," Pacas said.

The Town continues to encourage anyone who sees an unattended or suspicious fire to call 911 immediately.

Recent Rain and Snow Bring Cooler Conditions

The RCMP warning was issued during a stretch of dry late-summer weather, although conditions changed significantly over the weekend as rain and snow moved through parts of the Bow Valley on Sunday.

In its most recent update on Aug. 28, Alberta Wildfire rated the wildfire danger in the Calgary Forest Area as moderate and warned that dry vegetation remained susceptible to ignition. That update also forecast a shift toward cooler and more unsettled weather later in the weekend.

As of that update, there were no active wildfires in the Calgary Forest Area. Since Jan. 1, 92 wildfires had burned more than 20 hectares across the region.

Officials are urging people to keep campfires small, never leave them unattended and fully extinguish them before leaving.

Fines Can Reach $840

RCMP said people responsible for unsafe outdoor fires can face significant penalties under Alberta's Forest and Prairie Protection Act.

Police highlighted three offences carrying fines of $840 each: lighting an outdoor fire without taking precautions to keep it under control, lighting a fire when conditions could allow it to escape, and failing to take reasonable steps to prevent a fire from spreading.

No information was provided indicating that any of those fines have been issued in connection with the fires referenced in the RCMP post.