By Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

With Kenow fire being held, some Waterton townsite residents return home

Sep 19, 2017 | 3:13 PM

WATERTON – Slowly, but surely Waterton townsite residents are returning home today after Parks Canada announced a phased re-entry this morning.

The scene at the entrance to the park was much different today than over the past couple of weeks.

Blue sky, and not much in the way of smoke greeted residents as they drove up to the gates, but the drive down Highway 6 gave a glimpse into the damage caused.

Fields of black surrounding the roadway amid patches of green forestry saved thanks to the work of local firefighters and emergency staff.

Due to the amount of people filing back in, Parks Canada officials couldn’t be reached for comment on the latest about the Kenow fire or when they will order a complete re-entry.

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Only residents, leaseholders and business owners contacted by Parks Canada were allowed back in today.

As far as the fire, officials are now classifying it as being held, but it remains active and covers an area of approximately 38,100 hectares.

Fire activity is predominantly on the fire perimeter, and at localized hot spots within the perimeter where pockets of unburned fuels remain.

Parks Canada continues to work closely with provincial and local partners to contain this wildfire and protect key infrastructure and resources.

The priorities right now include protecting values and infrastructure, working to establish containment of the fire in strategic locations and the ongoing assessment of impacted values and infrastructure.

A cold front that moved into the area overnight on Monday is forecasted to bring cooler temperatures and limited precipitation for the next three days, but fire behaviour and smoke could still be seen under these forecasted conditions.