By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) – A massive wildfire that has destroyed about a third of the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper remains out of control but rain and cold weather are helping firefighters, authorities said on Friday.
Jasper is located in the heart of Alberta’s mountainous Jasper National Park, a major tourist attraction. The town and park, which attract more than two million tourists a year to this part of the Rocky Mountains, were evacuated Monday.
“The rain, cooler temperatures and hard work of firefighters have significantly reduced fire activity,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
“It is important to note that the fire is still out of control, and it is still unsafe for people to return,” she added at a press conference.
The Canadian Parks Service said Thursday’s rainfall totaled 10 to 15 millimetres and is likely to keep fire behaviour low through the weekend.
The Jasper City Council said that of the total 1,113 structures within the city, 358 were destroyed – or more than 32 percent.
David Leoni, one of the thousands of evacuees, said his family lost the home they had lived in for 10 years.
“Even a day and a half later, I’m still in deep shock,” he told CTV News.
“I would gladly go back to see what’s left… For me psychologically, I think it’s good to get some closure and see for myself what it’s like.”
CN Rail, one of the country’s two largest rail companies, resumed freight traffic through Jasper National Park on Friday after a fire forced it to suspend operations.
The company said in a statement that it remains in regular contact with officials and is monitoring the weather and fire movement.
Officials estimated that when the evacuation order was issued, there were up to 10,000 people in the city and another 15,000 visitors in the park.
Late Thursday, authorities said crews had been able to protect all critical infrastructure in Jasper, including the hospital, schools and a wastewater treatment plant.
They added that the fire also damaged a number of bridges around the city and in the park.
Jasper Park Lodge, one of the city’s largest hotels, said it suffered some damage but most of the structures remained intact. The 400-room hotel is operated by Fairmont, a group owned by French luxury group Fairmont. Accor (Environmental Protection Agency:).
The Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which can carry 890,000 barrels of oil per day from Edmonton to Vancouver, runs through the park. The operator said Thursday there were no signs of damage.
The federal government said in April that high temperatures and dry forests meant this year could be a catastrophic year for wildfires in Canada.
The current fire could be one of the most destructive in Alberta since the 2016 fire that swept through the oil town of Fort McMurray, forcing the evacuation of all 90,000 residents and destroying 10 percent of all structures there.