Tears welled up in Tasha Porttin’s eyes as she recalled the beauty of the place she called home for 10 years.
Jasper’s mountain peaks and picture-perfect pine trees that frame its vivid baby-blue lakes make it a popular tourist destination that attracts millions of people every year. The natural beauty and small businesses, like the pharmacy she opened, make the picturesque alpine town in the Canadian province of Alberta a jewel of the country.
It’s a “place that has the biggest heart of any community I’ve ever known,” she said through tears. “He grabs people and never lets go.”
Those memories have now been replaced by an evolving nightmare. An out-of-control fire has destroyed about 33% of the buildings in the Canadian Rockies resort town, and firefighters are still working to put out flames that have already burned 89,000 acres (36,000 hectares).
Rain suppressed the fire Thursday night and no new fires started in the past day, officials said in an update Friday. But winds were expected to increase and hot, dry weather is expected to return on Monday.
Of a total of 1,113 structures in the city of Jasper, 358 were destroyed, according to city officials, who added that it could be weeks before residents can return home.
But “all critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected” – including schools, a hospital and a water treatment plant.
Mrs. Porttin fled the area in a camping trailer her husband bought less than a month ago. She has been monitoring the fire, waiting with concern as nearby buildings collapse.
“I saw images of him standing up,” she said of her business. “Unfortunately, the nearby buildings don’t exist. That’s all I know.”
“It’s just surreal to think that our downtown isn’t the way we left it.”
Canadians and elected officials have described a deep sense of sadness and devastating cultural loss as the area continues to burn.
Situated north of the more popular Banff National Park, Jasper National Park is the largest in the Canadian Rockies.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to moose, brown bears, moose and bison.
The adjacent city of Jasper has a population of about 5,000, but has about a dozen hotels to accommodate the roughly 2.5 million people who pass through to visit the park.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the area a “special and beloved place” for many Canadians.
Karyn Decore, whose family has owned the historic Maligne Lodge for more than 60 years, has been receiving condolences from across the country since learning the place was destroyed when the fire swept through the town.
In an interview Friday, she said she has always loved sharing the Canadian “icon” with international visitors, calling it “one of the most famous national parks in the world.”
“People understand the beauty, power and magic of Jasper National Park,” she says, recalling her life observing wildlife, mountain biking, fishing and skiing in Jasper.
Ms Porttin said she loves watching visitors fall in love with Jasper. Most who end up moving to the city have a similar origin story.
“Most people say I came for the summer and stayed for the rest of my life,” she says. “He grabs people and never lets go.”
City residents, she says, enjoy meeting people from all over the world when they arrive and “fall in love with the place we love.”
Porttin said he ran to get out as the fire approached. She said the recently purchased camping trailer was already stocked with some needed supplies.
“Without it,” she said, “I don’t know what we would have done.”
Along with her four-year-old son, she had just 30 minutes to pack on Monday.
Her husband was away, so a friend who had a truck came and hooked up the trailer so everyone could get away.
The two families spent two nights camping together before the husband was able to join them.
“No matter how prepared you think you are, you are never prepared to leave,” she said.
The destruction is expected to have a high economic cost as tourists stay away during the height of the travel season.
Ms Decore says her now-destroyed hotel is normally 100% occupied from May to October each year. Now, all tourists and employees have evacuated the area and do not know when they will be able to return.
Park officials estimated that a two-week power outage in the city last year deprived local businesses of about $10 million in revenue.
It remains to be seen how long it will take to restore the resort, as well as the pristine ecology that helps make the majestic park a pride of Canada.
Meanwhile, there are currently 51 “out of control” wildfires surrounding the province of Alberta, forcing about 17,000 Albertans to flee.
