‘Not out of the woods’: Jasper wildfire still out of control, hotter weather expected

EDMONTON — A fire rampaging through Jasper National Park remained out of control Wednesday, while officials worked to restore power and water in the park’s townsite and to hash out a plan for vacationers to retrieve their stranded camping trailers.

“The wildfire is still very active,” Mike Ellis, Alberta’s public safety minister, told an online news conference.

Work continued on multiple fronts. Ellis said crews on the ground and in helicopters were battling flames, with air tankers on standby.

He said a plan was being formulated and should be ready in the next day or so to help people get the campers and trailers they were forced to abandon when everyone was ordered out of the park.

The stretch of Highway 16 through the park was soon set to reopen to heavy commercial traffic.

“This is an important economic corridor,” Ellis said.

There was still no word on when people would be allowed to return. But the province and Parks Canada were working on a plan for residents to tour the town on buses when it’s considered safe, Ellis said.

“I can tell you that we are committed to getting these bus tours, even in a scenario where folks may not be able to exit the bus,” he said.

“We’re trying to remove … debris. We’re talking about fallen trees, fallen power poles.”

Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen said the firefighting is expected to become more challenging in the coming days as hotter, drier, windier weather is forecast.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Loewen said.

Flames that destroyed a third of all structures in the Jasper townsite have been extinguished.

Parks Canada said in a statement that 750 people are involved in the firefighting effort, with the focus on making sure fire does not re-enter the picturesque Rocky Mountain community.

The 5,000 residents of the town, along with about 20,000 visitors, were ordered out on a moment’s notice on the night of July 22. Two days later, fire whipped by strong winds overwhelmed crews and rolled into the southern edge of town, destroying 358 homes and businesses.

Critical infrastructure survived, and the town was flushing waterlines and restoring power.

Parks Canada also said municipal teams were retrieving lost pets in the town.

Elsewhere in Alberta, residents of other communities evacuated due to wildfires were getting set to return home over the coming days.

The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 in northern Alberta has said dozens of residents of Chipewyan Lake who were ordered out in mid-July can return home on Thursday.

Also, Little Red River Cree Nation has set a tentative re-entry date of Monday for thousands of people from the communities of John D’or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River, some of whom have been away from home for about three weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2024.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press