Wildfire Ravages Canadian Tourist Town, Half of Structures Destroyed

Photo : Reuters

A fierce wildfire has wreaked havoc in Jasper, a picturesque town in western Canada, leading to the destruction of up to 50 percent of its structures. Firefighters are tirelessly battling the flames to save as many buildings as possible.

Jasper, nestled in the heart of the rugged Jasper National Park in Alberta, attracts over 2 million tourists annually. The evacuation order came on Monday, as officials estimated that the town housed up to 10,000 people, with an additional 15,000 visitors in the park at the time.

"This is the worst nightmare for any community," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said, visibly emotional during a press briefing. "We're facing potentially 30 to 50 percent structural damage, and it’s still out of control. The rebuild will be significant."

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Parks Canada reported significant losses within the town but could not yet detail the full extent of the damage. They urged residents to stay away, as images showed vehicles and entire blocks, including a historic Anglican church, reduced to ashes.

Eva Korduliakova, a Jasper resident currently in the Czech Republic, was devastated upon hearing her home had burned. "I am a single mum who became homeless and jobless overnight," she wrote in an email. "Our house is gone. I didn't get a chance to grab any of my belongings."

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland conveyed the town’s grief. "Last night's wildfires have ravaged our small, tight-knit mountain community. The destruction and loss defy description," he said, his voice breaking during a press conference.

A significant concern for responders is the potential impact on the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which carries 890,000 barrels of oil daily from Edmonton to Vancouver. However, pipeline operator Trans Mountain assured there were no indications of damage, and operations continued safely.

CN Rail suspended operations through Jasper on Wednesday as conditions worsened, and the Port of Vancouver warned of delays in goods movement due to the wildfire.

Emergency crews from the federal government and other Alberta cities are en route, and 400 firefighters from Mexico, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand are expected to arrive soon.

Currently, Alberta is battling 176 wildfires, with more than 50 out of control. Near the British Columbia border, another 423 wildfires are burning, prompting numerous evacuation orders and alerts.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group to address the Alberta wildfires. "Every federal agency is coordinated, sending resources to Jasper, deploying evacuation support, and reinforcing firefighting efforts on the ground," he posted on X.

The federal government had warned in April that this could be a catastrophic year for wildfires in Canada, due to high temperatures and tinder-dry forests. The Jasper fire, sparked by a lightning strike on Monday afternoon, has been fueled by strong winds. Flames soared 100 meters high, and wind gusts on Wednesday pushed the fire 5 kilometers in less than 30 minutes.

"Any firefighter will tell you there's little to nothing you can do when you have a wall of flames coming at you like that," said Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.

Environment Canada predicts 10 to 20 millimeters of rain on Thursday, which could aid firefighting efforts. However, the Jasper Park Lodge, a major hotel run by Fairmont, reported the fire had reached its grounds.

This wildfire might be Alberta’s most devastating since the 2016 Fort McMurray blaze, which forced 90,000 residents to evacuate and destroyed 10 percent of the city’s structures

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