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Firefighters from across southern Alberta are faced with a daunting task this weekend.

As wildfire crews fight a pitch battle against the blaze threatening to hop the continental divide into Alberta, teams of firefighters from Taber, Coaldale, Lethbridge, Willow Creek, Calgary and Cardston began arriving at Waterton Lakes National Park on Friday, tasked with protecting as much of the townsite as humanly possible.

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“We have high volume pumps, hoses and sprinkler systems all throughout the town, especially at the perimeter,” said Parks Canada spokesman John Stoesser.

“In the townsite, over the years, we’ve installed fire protection measures by thinning forest fuels — that’s a good line of defence in case the fire does reach the townsite.”

The arrival of the firefighters frees up wildfire crews, some coming from as far away as Ontario, to work in the backcountry.

They spent Saturday mitigating fire risks by eliminating fuel sources, setting up defensive positions and inspecting buildings, even classifying and marking each house by roofing material for later reference should the worst happen.