Yellowknife (July 17/06) - A proposal for a controlled burn around two forest fires in Wood Buffalo National Park was dropped after objections were raised in Fort Smith.

The idea was to use the fires - one 90 hectares and the other 150 hectares - as the beginning of a large fire break in northern Alberta to protect Fort Smith from future forest fires. The existing fires are about six kilometres apart - one next to Parson's Lake Road and the other closer to the NWT border.

"It would be using fire to fight fire," said Mike Keizer, the communications manager with the park, adding it was a proactive strategy.

A roughly 20-25 km perimeter - in the shape of a horseshoe opened on the southeast - was planned to be created around the fires.

It would then be allowed to burn inward to the existing fires. The resulting scorched area would be southwest of the Salt Plains and south of Highway 5.

The far edge would have been about 35 km from Fort Smith and the closest edge would have been just 25 km away.

The plan was that, in the future, the containment area would be extended to the southeast to Pine Lake Road. That total area would be roughly 25 km by 15 km in size.

The park talked to territorial, municipal and Aboriginal leaders in Fort Smith about the plan.

"We got mixed reviews," Keizer said.

He said park officials listened to growing concern in the community and abandoned the plan earlier this month.

"I was dead set against it as soon as I heard about it," said Ken Hudson, the president of the Fort Smith Metis Council.

Hudson called the idea stupid, noting the plan involved burning the country instead of trying to save it.

"It's the oddest friggin' thing I've ever heard of," he said.

Hudson noted any kind of fire could be a threat to Fort Smith.

After the decision was made to abandon the plan, the park moved into full suppression of the existing fires, which Keizer noted are not directly threatening Fort Smith.

The idea for the large fire break was suggested by a four-person incident command team from Parks Canada, consisting of fire experts from across Canada.

Keizer said the operation was all ready to go before it was cancelled.