Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Jasper National Park Town

July 25, 2024 by No Comments

One of two wildfires threatening the town of Jasper, located within Canada’s largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, engulfed the town on Wednesday and began burning buildings.

Jasper National Park officials stated that the fire entered the southern edge of the community Wednesday evening. Crews are currently battling multiple structural fires and working to protect crucial infrastructure. They indicated that there were significant losses in some areas.

Forest firefighters and others without self-contained breathing apparatuses were instructed to evacuate to the nearby town of Hinton, while structural firefighters remained behind.

James Eastham, a spokesperson for Parks Canada, informed reporters outside Jasper that the town is enveloped in smoke and there “has been structural loss.”

“At this point, I can’t confirm how many structures were affected, their locations, or specific details. The fire continues to burn,” he stated.

Parks Canada mentioned that firefighters are working diligently to salvage “as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant, communication facilities, the Trans Mountain Pipeline, and others.”

A few hours prior, many first responders were ordered to leave Jasper National Park for safety reasons.

Jasper is facing the threat of fires from both the north and south. The town’s 5,000 residents, along with 20,000 park visitors, were forced to evacuate on short notice late Monday night when the fires intensified.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed that they are “mobilizing every necessary resource available.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith conveyed her “heartbreak” regarding the situation.

A record number of wildfires in 2023 resulted in over 235,000 people being evacuated and thick smoke spreading to parts of the U.S., leading to hazy skies and health advisories in several American cities.

The northern fire was spotted about 3 miles away from Jasper earlier in the day. The southern fire had been reported approximately 5 miles from the town, but Katie Ellsworth of Parks Canada explained that strong wind gusts propelled it forward at a rapid pace.

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong as fire perimeters shifted rapidly.

Ellsworth revealed that helicopter bucketing efforts proved unsuccessful. Crews utilizing heavy equipment to create fireguards were unable to complete their work before being forced to retreat for safety. Water bombers were unable to assist due to hazardous flying conditions.

A final attempt to use controlled burns to redirect the fire towards natural barriers like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River failed due to “unfavorable conditions.”

Hope rested on the anticipated overnight rainfall to bring some relief.

Ellsworth clarified that the decision to relocate all first responders to Hinton, just outside the eastern edge of the park, “was not made lightly.”

She emphasized, “Considering the intensity of fire behavior being observed, the decision was made to limit the number of responders exposed to this risk.”

Jasper National Park is widely considered a national treasure. The United Nations designated the parks comprising the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, as a World Heritage Site in 1984, recognizing its striking mountain landscape.

In 1953, Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe visited to film the movie “River of No Return.” More recently, the TV show “The Bachelorette” was filmed there.

Park rangers in helicopters conducted a thorough search of the park earlier Wednesday, looking for any stragglers who might still be present despite the mass evacuation aimed at moving visitors and residents away. Search teams combing through the backcountry trails had already located 245 people. They continued their search on Wednesday using two helicopters, Ellsworth confirmed.

Residents and visitors departed in droves late Monday and Tuesday, and officials confirmed on Wednesday that the evacuation of the town of Jasper was complete.

Ellsworth indicated that park officials anticipate completing the evacuation of the park’s backcountry areas later Wednesday. Reservations are required for the park, providing authorities with an understanding of people’s whereabouts. However, Ellsworth mentioned that she did not have immediate information regarding the number of people remaining.

Alberta has been experiencing scorching temperatures, which have already forced another 7,500 people to evacuate from remote communities. Approximately 177 wildfires are burning across the province.

Jasper resident Leanne Maeva Joyeuse expressed relief but exhaustion after reaching the Grand Prairie evacuation center following a 20-hour journey with her grandmother, parents, and younger brother.

“We’re just waiting to go back home and see how many days we’re going to be stuck here,” Joyeuse stated.