Arsonist suspected to have lit tree on fire in Lake Louise

Police are looking for an arsonist who set a tree on fire off a walking path on the south side of Sentinel Road in the Lake Louise townsite last night.

Lake Louise Fire was dispatched around 9:30 p.m. Thursday (June 27) and quickly extinguished the fire. The tree was also cut down to prevent the fire from relighting and spreading.

Sgt. Susan Richter, detachment commander of Lake Louise RCMP, said the tree was deliberately set on fire.

“Setting any fire is extremely dangerous because you don’t know how rapidly it’s going to spread, or what’s around there, or how flammable things are,” she said.

“Even lighting a little piece of paper on fire, you might think it’s just a little harmless mischief or prank, but it’s not harmless. Anyone who lived in Alberta last year has witnessed the catastrophic damage that can be done by fires. They can spread so rapidly and we just don’t want that to happen in the national park; we don’t want that to happen to our homes or to this area at all.

“We don’t want to see a repeat of last year for the province of Alberta. Fires are no joke.”

The walking path where the tree was set aflame is a popular pathway used by people to get through the Lake Louise townsite, as well as for hiking.

It is close to a residential area and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail line is also nearby.

Prompt response from the local fire detachment, as well as damp conditions from recent rainfall, kept the fire from spreading to nearby infrastructure. Fire risk in Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks is currently rated low.

Richter said while many people walk in this area, there was no one around that first responders were aware of at the time the fire was set.

“We are seeking witnesses to see if anyone saw anything and can help us narrow down the timeframe,” she said.

“I think because we had pouring rain yesterday, and the conditions were quite wet, that prevented it from spreading and getting worse, but it also made it so that the fire could have been going for a little while before anybody noticed it enough to call it into us.”

In a statement, external relations manager with Parks Canada Lindsay McPherson reminded that illegal fires are susceptible to hefty fines under the Canada National Parks Act.

“Lighting a fire in any area other than a designated fire pit in the national park is strictly prohibited and can carry a fine of up to $25,000,” she said.

In 2023, Parks Canada saw 109 wildfires in 20 different parks and sites, burning a total of 1.014 million hectares.

The Skiing Louise-owned Charleston Residence on Village Road in Lake Louise was also burned down last year in a fire on July 3. Lake Louise resident Timothy Alexander Peterson was charged with arson, disregard for human life, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose in the incident. 

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.