JASPER – Reinforcements are arriving in Jasper National Park to join the battle against the huge out-of-control blaze that has caused evacuations and destroyed buildings.
Hundreds of firefighters and incident management personnel from across Canada and internationally are arriving this weekend at the popular national park, said Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).
In an update on the devastating wildfires on Saturday afternoon (July 27), AEMA said critical infrastructure within the Jasper townsite has been protected, such as the hospital, emergency services building, schools, activity centre and the wastewater treatment plant, but firefighting efforts within the town and national park remain ongoing.
“I want to reassure all Jasperites that we’re doing everything in our power to protect the town as we begin to assess the damage,” said Stephen Lacroix, AEMA senior assistant deputy minister and managing director.
More than 250 wild and urban interface personnel from across Alberta with “specialized training to support the complex firefighting efforts in Jasper” have arrived in Jasper, and hundreds more firefighters from across Canada, Australia and South Africa are arriving Sunday (July 28).
On Friday (July 26), Lacroix said it will be weeks before residents, who fled the incoming wildfire danger at nighttime last Monday, will be able to return to the fire-ravaged town.
Approximately 17,100 people have evacuated Jasper National Park since then.
According to Parks Canada, the wildfire was assessed at approximately 32,000 hectares in size, or 320 square km, making it the largest wildfire in more than 100 years in Jasper National Park.
Approximately 30 per cent of the town's buildings were destroyed by the wildfire.
“While firefighting efforts are still underway, crews have begun working on repairing communication networks and connecting critical infrastructure to utilities where possible,” said Lacroix.
With temperatures forecasted to rise next week, the wildfire response in the province is at a “critical point,” said Lacroix. According to Environment Canada, Jasper National Park will see temperatures in the low to mid 20s Celsius from Monday to Friday.
Melissa Story, provincial wildfire information officer, Alberta Wildfire, said rainfall over the past 72 hours has helped lower wildfire behaviour and helped with operations, but there’s “still a lot of work ahead.”
“The wildfire danger in the southern parts of the province remains extreme, which means a wildfire can start easily and spread quickly.
“Crews will continue to be on high alert to respond to any new wildfire starts in the coming days,” Story said.
As of Saturday afternoon there are 154 active wildfires in Alberta, with 43 are out-of-control.
Lacroix stressed that all Albertans should have a minimum 72-hour emergency kit ready, with food, water and critical documents, first-aid, etc.
The government of Alberta is hosting a telephone townhall on Monday (July 29) at 6:30 p.m. to get updates on the wildfire situation. For information on how to join, visit www.alberta.ca/emergency.
Financial support is available to evacuees from Jasper. Those affected may be eligible for a one-time payment of $1,250 for each adult and $500 for children under 18.
For more information, click here.
