Firefighter’s death delays tours for Jasper residents in zone destroyed by wildfire

Jasper residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by an out-of-control wildfire were told they’d have to wait until Monday to view the devastation in person, following the tragic death of a firefighter.

Alberta’s minister of public safety said bus tours of the community that were scheduled to begin Sunday were postponed 24 hours because of the death over the weekend of a firefighter in Jasper National Park.

Mike Ellis said in a social media post that the decision was made out of respect for the family, crew and all those impacted by the tragedy.

Later Sunday, Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen told a news conference that was updating the fire situation that conditions in the park would also have prevented the tours for that day from proceeding.

“I know this is disappointing for many Jasper evacuees who are hoping to see their homes today, but the fire situation is also too unpredictable today,” Loewen said.

“We are planning to begin the bus tours tomorrow, pending fire conditions.”

RCMP said they learned Saturday afternoon that a 24-year-old employee of Alberta’s fire service who was a resident of Calgary was seriously injured by a falling tree while fighting an active fire northeast of Jasper, and later died.

Loewen paid tribute to the fallen firefighter, and noted officials haven’t released his name or other information out of respect for his family, but that they’re working with the family on releasing details.

An evacuation order for Jasper and Jasper National Park issued July 22 remains in effect, after the fire destroyed one-third of the historic town’s buildings.

Provincial officials said residents who had signed up for the tours have been notified of the postponement and officials will continue to communicate with them directly to keep them informed.

Joe Zatylny with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency said during Sunday’s update that over 120 families have registered so far for the tours.

Parks Canada said operators of critical services and critical retail, such as gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and schools, are expected to visit their sites starting Monday for initial damage assessments. The agency explained the visits would help get those services restarted quickly, once conditions allow for the safe return of residents.

The fire risk across Alberta remained high to extreme on Sunday, but Christie Tucker with Alberta Wildfire told the update that rain was anticipated on Sunday and Monday, which would help firefighters battle numerous blazes across the province.

While evacuees from communities in the Little Red River Cree Nation were still scheduled to return to their homes Monday, others in Alberta were ordered to flee over the weekend.

Central Peace Regional Emergency Management in northwestern Alberta issued an evacuation order and two evacuation alerts late Saturday due to fires burning in the area. Zatylny said the order affected about a dozen properties.

Tucker said 120 fires were burning in Alberta on Sunday — 16 that were out of control, 46 that were listed as being held, and 57 that were under control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press