| Jasper wildfire Part of the 2024 Canada wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Satellite image of smoke from the fire on July 23, 2024 | |
| Date(s) | July 21, 2024 – present |
| Location | Jasper, Alberta, Canada |
| Statistics | |
| Total area | 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Evacuated | 25,000+ |
| Structures destroyed | 358 (townsite) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | To be determined |
| Map | |
 | |
The Jasper wildfire is an ongoing wildfire in Jasper, Alberta, Canada.[1] Fires were initially spotted in the mountains both north and south of the resort town before both reached the town.[2] A mass evacuation was ordered on July 22,[3] and evacuation centres were set up in nearby Valemount, British Columbia, and Hinton.
Progression
[edit]On July 22, 2024 at 7:00 pm MDT, Parks Canada reported a wildfire northeast of the town of Jasper. Shortly after, a second wildfire was reported south of the townsite. At 8:35 pm, the Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park issued evacuation alerts. By 10:00 pm, an evacuation order was issued for the entire park, and the park was closed indefinitely.[4] On July 23, it was reported that the south fire was 12 km (7.5 mi) from the townsite with an estimated size of 6,750 hectares, while the north fire was estimated to be 270 hectares in size.[5]
On July 23, service on the CN Rail main transcontinental line through Jasper was suspended, with CN sending one of its firefighting trains to the town that same day.[6]
By the morning of July 24, the south fire grew to 10,800 hectares in size and was 8 km (5.0 mi) from Jasper, while the north fire remained the same size and was 5 km (3.1 mi) away. At 6:40 pm on July 24, the south fire reached the townsite. At 8:00 pm, wildland firefighters and other personnel without self-contained breathing apparatuses began evacuating to Hinton due to deteriorating air quality, while structural firefighters remained to protect critical infrastructure and save as many structures as possible. At 10:00 pm, Parks Canada reported that significant loss had occurred within the townsite.[5]
By July 25, roughly 25,000 people had been evacuated,[7] and videos surfaced showing various buildings and structures destroyed by the fire in the southern part of the town.[2] Later that day, park officials reported that the north and south fires had merged together. Including an earlier wildfire near Miette Hot Springs, the Jasper wildfire complex was estimated to be 36,000 hectares in size.[8] On July 26, Parks Canada revealed that 358 of the 1,113 structures within the Jasper townsite were damaged by the wildfire while all critical infrastructure such as the hospital, schools, and wastewater treatment plant were saved.[9]
Evacuation efforts
[edit]Due to the north and south wildfires converging, Highway 16 and Highway 93 within the park were closed.[10] Anyone travelling towards Jasper was told to turn around. Evacuees travelling from Jasper were ordered by emergency personnel to continue to travel westbound on Highway 16. A welcome centre was established in Valemount, British Columbia as a place for evacuees to rest. Evacuees seeking government support were directed to go to emergency reception centres in Calgary and Grande Prairie.[10] Buses were brought in to Valemount and Prince George to transport evacuees to the reception centres in Calgary and Grande Prairie, respectively, while one bus was arranged to transport people in Jasper to Edmonton, Alberta.[11]
Disaster response
[edit]Parks Canada said in a statement on July 25 that a disaster response team had been formed to support affected communities.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Canadian wildfires: 25,000 evacuated from the tourist town of Jasper". BBC News. July 25, 2024. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "Video shows widespread destruction caused by wildfire in Jasper". CBC. July 25, 2024. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (July 23, 2024). "Canada wildfires: 25,000 evacuate Jasper national park amid multiple blazes". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Canada’s Jasper National Park Closed Indefinitely Amid Massive Wildfires, AFAR, July 23, 2024
- ^ a b Boynton, Sean (July 25, 2024). "Jasper wildfire: Here's how quickly flames engulfed a town". Globalnews.ca. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Stephens, Bill (July 23, 2024). "Wildfire shuts down CN main line through Jasper, Alberta (updated)". Trains.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "Famous Rockies resort of Jasper on fire as thousands flee". BBC. July 25, 2024. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Snowdon, Wallis; Frew, Nicolas (July 25, 2024). "Buildings in Jasper in ashes after 'monster' wildfire rips through mountain community". CBC News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Heidenreich, Phil (July 26, 2024). "30% of Jasper structures destroyed by wildfire, critical infrastructure saved: Parks Canada". Global News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Kurjata, Andrew (July 23, 2024). "B.C. towns full, Jasper wildfire evacuees directed to Alberta". CBC News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Black, Matthew (July 23, 2024). "Thousands escape Jasper wildfire as officials worry situation could worsen". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (July 26, 2024). "Wildfire status". parks.canada.ca. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.