Jasper faces 'significant loss' of buildings, infrastructure as wildfire engulfs Alberta town

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland choked up Wednesday night, reflecting on how an evacuation order issued days ago may have saved thousands of lives, while an out-of-control wildfire burned his community.

A wildfire had threatened the Alberta mountainside townsite for days from the south, but finally reached it in the evening.

Ireland knew little more than the rest of the public Wednesday night about the damage toll, as flames consumed multiple buildings, including the Maligne Lodge and at least the grounds of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

"This is simply our community's worst nightmare," Ireland told CBC News.

"People are the heartbeat of every community. The people have been saved and that is significant. We can find a way to rebuild. We can find each other to hug again, because we all got out."

Parks Canada said "significant loss has occurred within the townsite" in a social media post at 10 p.m. MT, but was unableto "report on the extent of damage to specific locations or neighbourhoods at this time."

"Today has been an exceptionally difficult day for Jasperites, incident personnel and everyone who loves Jasper," Parks Canada said in its statement.

• Do you have a personal connection to Jasper National Park, or a memory to share? Send an email toask@cbc.ca

Tim Horrocks,owner of Sunhouse Cafe, recalls Jasper as an "eerie environment" when he evacuatedMonday night.

"There was a lot of smoke in town at that point. There was ash falling from the sky," Horrockstold CBC Radio host Mark Connollyduring a radiospecial Wednesday evening.

Horrocks was not sure of the extent of the damage on Patricia Street, where the contemporary Australian cafe is located. He hoped the fire wouldn't reach the townsite. Now, he hopes it canbe saved.

"I love living there," hesaid. "As early as last week, we were just commenting on how spectacular and magical the place is when summer is in full swing."

Karyn Decore, whose familyowned Maligne Lodge for over 60 years, is mourning the loss of their establishment and heartbroken for her staff many of whom come from countries around the world.The lodge was among the buildings burned Wednesday night.

"It's tragic, it's devastating," Decoretold Connolly.

"It's sad for us and it's sad for everyone in town."

Her family also owns the Tonquin Inn in Jasper, but while on air, she was unsure whether the second hotel was lost too.

Decore called Jasper a "national treasure" Wednesday night.

"It is one of the most precious parks and jewels we have in Canada," she said. "Tosee this town get consumed by fire is absolutely appalling."

Parks Canada started relocating many first responders to Hinton, Alta., Wednesday, and a cavalcade of RCMP vehicles drove out of the community in the evening. As of 8:30 p.m., air quality worsened so much that firefighters without self-contained breathing apparatuses were forced to evacuate.

Structural firefighters are still in town trying to protect the town about 365 kilometres west of Edmonton. They are trying to protect buildings and critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant and Trans Mountain Pipeline among others.

"We got as many resources as we were able to, here, as fast as we could, to respond to this fire," James Eastham, a Parks Canada wildfire information officer, told reporters Wednesday night.

"Unfortunately, given the conditions and given the fire behaviour today, there was nothing that those resources could do to prevent the spread of the fire into the town."

Alberta will be receiving help from the federal government to battle wildfires,Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjansaid on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night. The aid comes after Public Safety and EmergencyServices Minister Mike Ellis and Forestry and ParksMinister Todd Loewenexplained the situation to their federal counterparts.

In a video posted to X, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was "heartbroken" to see reports that the wildfire had entered the townsite.

"Like you, I'm watching the tragedy unfold in Jasper and my thoughts are with the people who have evacuated and are watching this as well," Smith said."We're gonna do everything we can, to put this fire out."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a statement also posted to X, said hisgovernment had received Alberta's request for federal assistance.

"We're mobilizing every necessary resource available," he said."To everyone who is fighting these wildfires or helping those evacuating from Jasper: thank you."

More than 176 total wildfires were burning throughout the provinceas of 10p.m. MT, according toAlberta Wildfire. The province says more than 17,500 people in Alberta are displaced byvarious fires.

The government has asked the feds for more firefighting resources, aerial support to move crews and equipment and help evacuating remote communities among other things, Loewen said.

One of two fires, fed by parched conditions and strong winds, reached the Jasper townsitefrom the south shortly before 6:45 p.m.

The fire activity is so severe, Parks Canada announced on Facebook late Wednesday afternoon, that it ismoving first responders to Hinton.

At the time, some firefighting personnel, aircraft and "a small number" of incident command staff were kept in Jasper.

"This decision has not been made lightly," thepost said, but they had to limit the number of responders exposed to the fires, given their intensities.

"The safety of the public and responders is our top priority."

Parks Canada incident commander Katie Ellsworth, during a news conference Wednesday morning, warned crews would face another challenging day.

Dropping water on the fire from helicopters proved ineffective Wednesday afternoon and water bombers were unable to help due to dangerous flying conditions. Fire guards weren't able to be completed before heavy equipment had to be pulled from the line for safety, according to the joint news release.

WATCH | 'Still burning out of control':

Parks Canada update on Jasper fires

2 months ago

Duration 2:23

Parks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth gives an update on the Jasper wildfire, which is five kilometres from the Jasper townsite.

An ignition specialist arrived earlier Wednesday to help finish landscape-level ignition, which was to bring the fire toward large holding features like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River, the release said. But "unfavourable conditions" didn't allow the work to be finished.

About 15 mm to 30 mm of rain is expected in Jasper over Wednesday night and Thursday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada's forecast.

But earlier Wednesday, Ellsworth noted that "rain doesn't count until it's on the ground and there isn't enough rain in this forecast to control the wildfire."

"We are working very hard to protect the community," Ellsworth said.

Jasper is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockiescovering 11,228 square kilometres of extensive trails and mountain terrain and getting the message out to everyone on the trail has proven difficult.

During Wednesday's news conference, Ellsworth said 245 hikers have either been picked up or helped to leavethe park since the evacuation began.

She said helicopter crewsare flying low along the trails, working to airlift stranded hikers out or direct them toward a safe trailhead, when possible.

She said the most dangerous backcountry areas have been cleared but the sweeps will continue Wednesday in lower-risk areas.

All hikers reported missing or in distress have been accounted for, butAlbertans are encouraged to contact people who may be in the mountains and unaware of the fire danger.

Reception centres set up

Thousands of vehicles gridlocked roads once the evacuation order came. Wildfires cut off highway access east to Edmonton and south along the Icefields Parkway, so many were forced west into British Columbia. Evacuees were eventually redirected to Alberta.

With wildfires cutting off highway access east to Edmonton and south along the Icefields Parkway, many were forced west into British Columbia.Evacuees were initially ordered west but were later redirected to Alberta.

Reception centres have since been set up in Grande Prairie, Calgary and Edmonton, where evacuees are being helped with accommodations.

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