HINTON, Alberta– A wildfire in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies this week destroyed more than 350 structures, but all critical infrastructure is intact, authorities said Friday.
The fast-moving fire that forced 25,000 people to flee the town of Jasper and the adjacent park earlier this week damaged about 30% of the town. Parks Canada said that of a total of 1,113 structures within the city, 358 have been destroyed.
Mayor Richard Ireland said all critical infrastructure has been saved.
“Many homes and businesses have been lost,” Danielle Smith, premier of the province of Alberta, said at a news conference in Hinton, Alberta, where a command center was set up. “Approximately 70 percent of the city has not been damaged.”
Smith said residents will be out of their homes for several weeks and said they are expediting emergency relief funds for them.
“Some of our residents, most of them have, will have a home to return to, some will not,” Ireland said. “There will be a sad mix of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods. It will be difficult. “The pain that will be felt defies description.”
There were no reports of injuries during the mass evacuation of the picturesque resort and national park earlier in the week.
Parks Canada officials said the hospital, schools and wastewater treatment plant were protected. They said the most significant damage is concentrated on the west side of the city.
Jasper and neighboring Jasper National Park had been threatened by fires from both the north and south and the town’s 5,000 permanent residents, along with 20,000 visitors, fled at short notice on Monday and Tuesday nights when the fires broke out.
“This fire was huge, moving quickly,” Ireland said. “It was blown by the winds.”
Parks Canada officials said Friday that colder conditions are reducing fire behavior as rain subsided overnight.
A postcard-perfect mountain town, Jasper is famous for its hiking, skiing, kayaking, and biking. It is also home to dozens of species such as elk, mountain goats, pumas, lynx, black bears and grizzly bears.
Jasper National Park is considered a national treasure. The United Nations designated the parks that make up the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, a World Heritage Site in 1984 for their stunning mountain scenery.
Alberta has been scorching under scorching temperatures that have already forced another 7,500 people to leave remote communities. Around 176 forest fires were burning across the province.
A record number of forest fires in 2023 forced more than 235,000 people across Canada to evacuate and sent thick smoke to parts of the US, leading to hazy skies and health advisories in several US cities.
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