Devastating wildfire burns down part of western Canadian tourist town
By David Ljunggren and Nia Williams
July 25, 2024
The magic is not lost and it never will be.'
July 25 (Reuters) - A raging wildfire has devastated the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper, potentially destroying up to 50% of structures, and firefighters were trying Thursday to save as many buildings as possible, authorities said.
July 25 (Reuters) - A raging wildfire has devastated the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper, potentially destroying up to 50% of structures, and firefighters were trying Thursday to save as many buildings as possible, authorities said.
Jasper is in the middle of mountainous Jasper National Park, in the province of Alberta. The town and the park, which draw more than 2 million tourists a year, were evacuated on Monday, when officials estimated there were up to 10,000 people in the town and a further 15,000 visitors in the park.
"There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," Alberta premier Danielle Smith told reporters, while choking back tears.
"We're seeing potentially 30% to 50% structural damage ... that's going to be a significant rebuild," she said, adding the fire was still out of control.
Parks Canada said there had been a "significant loss" of buildings inside the town but added it could not give specific details of the damage, or which areas had been burned and it urged residents not to return.
Video from the town showed vehicles and entire blocks burned to the ground, including a historic Anglican church.
Jasper resident Eva Korduliakova heard the news that her home was burning from thousands of kilometers (miles) away on Thursday morning, while visiting family in the Czech Republic with her seven-year-old son.
"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 said the town was beginning to come to terms with "the devastating impact" of the fire.
"Last night's wildfires have simply ravaged our small tight-knit mountain community, the destruction and the loss that so many of our residents are facing simply defies description," he told a press conference, his voice breaking.
One major concern for responders is if the fire damages the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which can carry 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Edmonton to Vancouver.
"At this time there is no indication of damage to our infrastructure, and the pipelines continue to operate safely," pipeline operator Trans Mountain said in a statement.
CN Rail (CNR.TO), opens new tab said it suspended rail operations through the town on Wednesday afternoon as the wildfire conditions worsened.
Flames and smoke rise from a burning wildfire, as seen from a highway, in Jasper, Alberta, Canada, July 23, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Donald Schroll/via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
The Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest, said it expected to see delays to the movement of goods through the port in the coming days due to the events in Jasper.
The federal government and other cities in Alberta are sending emergency crews. In addition, a total of 400 firefighters from Mexico, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are due to arrive in the coming days.
'WALL OF FLAMES'
There are currently 176 wildfires burning in Alberta, more than 50 of which are out of control. Around 10 of those blazes are close to the border with British Columbia, where there are 423 wildfires burning and dozens of evacuation orders and alerts.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday afternoon he had convened a meeting of the Incident Response Group to discuss the Alberta wildfires.
"Every federal agency is coordinated, sending resources to Jasper, deploying evacuations support to the area, and reinforcing firefighting efforts on the ground," Trudeau said in a post on X.
The federal government said in April that high temperatures and tinder-dry forests meant this could be a catastrophic year for wildfires in Canada.
The Jasper fire was caused by a lightning strike on Monday afternoon and fuelled by strong winds, according to Parks Canada.
Flames from the blaze rose 100 meters (328 feet) high, and strong wind gusts on Wednesday afternoon pushed the fire 5 km(3 miles ) in less than 30 minutes, said Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.
"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," Ellis said.
Environment Canada is forecasting 10 mm to 20 mm (0.4 to 0.8 inch) of rain for Thursday, which might help firefighters.
The Jasper Park Lodge, one of the largest hotels in town, said the fire had reached its grounds. The 400-room residence is run by Fairmont, a group owned by France's Accor (ACCP.PA), opens new tab.
The Jasper fire could be one of the most damaging in Alberta since a 2016 conflagration that hit the oil town of Fort McMurray, forcing the evacuation of all 90,000 residents and destroying 10% of all structures in the city.
Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Nia Williams in British Columbia and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Aurora Ellis and Sandra Maler
Wildfire engulfs parts of main town in Canada's Jasper National Park
Montreal (AFP) – An "out of control" wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said Thursday, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze.
Issued on: 26/07/2024
Fires in western Canada © Valentin RAKOVSKY, Jean-Michel CORNU / AFP
While the fire has so far caused no casualties, as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from the area before the conflagration suddenly grew in size, overtaking firefighters.
"There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," said Danielle Smith, Alberta province's premier, adding that damage to the town was estimated at between "30 to 50 percent."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called images of the damage "heartbreaking," and said his government had asked more than 400 firefighters from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Africa to aid local authorities.
"Thank you for your courage, and for working non-stop to fight these wildfires," he said in a post on social media platform X.
A video circulating on social media showed the city of Jasper's streets covered in ash, with cars turned to charred carcasses and buildings reduced to rubble.
Mayor Richard Ireland wrote in an online post of a sense of destruction and loss that was "beyond description and comprehension."
On Thursday, firefighters were still hard at work in the town, with much-anticipated rain having "no significant impact" on the blaze, according to Jasper National Park authorities.
"Jasper National Park received a small amount of rain overnight. While the rain helped reduce fire activity slightly, it is not enough to have made a meaningful impact to the overall wildfire situation, which remains out of control," read a post on the park's X account.
In places, the flames reached a height of 120 meters (390 feet) and were moving at a speed of 15 meters per minute.
The fire entered the deserted town on Wednesday evening after advancing very rapidly late in the day, pushed by strong winds in a region hit by severe drought and which has seen record heat in recent days.
Jasper National Park, Canada's largest, is known for its mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, and attracts 2.5 million visitors every year.
'Devastation'
"Everyone has a total feeling of devastation," said Pattie Pavlov, a Jasper resident who drove for hours on Monday night to escape the advancing fire.
"Many people are feeling very helpless. Because there's nothing that we can do."
The general manager of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce said she had taken refuge with friends more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) away from her home.
In tears, Alberta Premier Smith provided an assessment of the damage and recalled that "for many generations" the town and Jasper National Park were "a source of pride."
In recent days, numerous fires have been started by lightning in western Canada.
In Alberta province, more than 170 fires were active on Thursday, including more than a dozen in the Fort McMurray region, a hub of oil sands development.
British Columbia, Alberta's neighboring province, was grappling with 400 active fires, more than half of which were burning out of control.
Fifty-six fires have started in the last 24 hours alone, authorities said.
© 2024 AFP
While the fire has so far caused no casualties, as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from the area before the conflagration suddenly grew in size, overtaking firefighters.
"There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," said Danielle Smith, Alberta province's premier, adding that damage to the town was estimated at between "30 to 50 percent."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called images of the damage "heartbreaking," and said his government had asked more than 400 firefighters from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Africa to aid local authorities.
"Thank you for your courage, and for working non-stop to fight these wildfires," he said in a post on social media platform X.
A video circulating on social media showed the city of Jasper's streets covered in ash, with cars turned to charred carcasses and buildings reduced to rubble.
Mayor Richard Ireland wrote in an online post of a sense of destruction and loss that was "beyond description and comprehension."
On Thursday, firefighters were still hard at work in the town, with much-anticipated rain having "no significant impact" on the blaze, according to Jasper National Park authorities.
"Jasper National Park received a small amount of rain overnight. While the rain helped reduce fire activity slightly, it is not enough to have made a meaningful impact to the overall wildfire situation, which remains out of control," read a post on the park's X account.
In places, the flames reached a height of 120 meters (390 feet) and were moving at a speed of 15 meters per minute.
The fire entered the deserted town on Wednesday evening after advancing very rapidly late in the day, pushed by strong winds in a region hit by severe drought and which has seen record heat in recent days.
Jasper National Park, Canada's largest, is known for its mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, and attracts 2.5 million visitors every year.
'Devastation'
"Everyone has a total feeling of devastation," said Pattie Pavlov, a Jasper resident who drove for hours on Monday night to escape the advancing fire.
"Many people are feeling very helpless. Because there's nothing that we can do."
The general manager of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce said she had taken refuge with friends more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) away from her home.
In tears, Alberta Premier Smith provided an assessment of the damage and recalled that "for many generations" the town and Jasper National Park were "a source of pride."
In recent days, numerous fires have been started by lightning in western Canada.
In Alberta province, more than 170 fires were active on Thursday, including more than a dozen in the Fort McMurray region, a hub of oil sands development.
British Columbia, Alberta's neighboring province, was grappling with 400 active fires, more than half of which were burning out of control.
Fifty-six fires have started in the last 24 hours alone, authorities said.
© 2024 AFP
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