A fast-moving wildfire in the Canadian Rockies that has forced 25,000 people to flee raged through the nearly deserted town of Jasper overnight, officials said Thursday, with flames rising above treetops and destroying up to half of its structures.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, after a mass evacuation of the picturesque resort and a nearby national park earlier in the week, but Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a message on the city’s website that the wildfires had “devastated our beloved community.”
“The devastation and loss that so many of you are facing and feeling is indescribable and unfathomable, and I offer my deepest condolences to each and every one of you,” he said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 30% to 50% of the city’s structures were damaged or destroyed, adding that “this will be a major rebuild and a major displacement.”
Smith cried as he talked about Jasper’s beauty, noting that many families from the county visit regularly. A postcard-perfect mountain town, Jasper is known for hiking, skiing, kayaking and biking. It’s also home to dozens of species including elk, mountain goats, cougars, lynx, black bears and grizzly bears.
“We share the sense of loss with everyone who lives in the city,” Smith said at a news conference in Edmonton, Alberta, as she pledged her government’s support in rebuilding the community.
Parks Canada officials later said all critical infrastructure was protected, including a hospital, schools and a wastewater treatment plant. They said the most significant structural damage was on the western side of town. Some bridges around town and throughout the park were also damaged.
The city of Jasper and neighboring Jasper National Park were threatened by fires to the north and south, and the city’s 5,000 residents — along with 20,000 visitors — fled in short order late Monday and Tuesday as the fires broke out.
One of the fires spread to the southern edge of the community Wednesday evening as firefighters tried to limit the damage.
Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said a gust of wind pushed the wildfire about 5 kilometres (about 3 miles) in less than 30 minutes toward the city, with a wall of fire estimated to be about 100 metres high.
“People need to imagine what those who were fighting the fires were going through at that time. Any firefighter will tell you there’s nothing you can do when a wall of fire like that comes at you,” Ellis said. “No one expected the fire to come that fast and that big.”
Lightning, wind and dry conditions caused the fire to spread quickly on Monday, and the flames were above the treetops when they entered the city on Wednesday, said Pierre Martel, fire management manager for Parks Canada.
“It’s just a monster at this point. There are no tools in our toolbox to deal with this at this point. You have to get out of the way, then you have to pull out,” he said.
“No injuries have been reported,” Parks Canada said in a post on its website, adding that “approximately 25,000 people have been safely evacuated from the town of Jasper and Jasper National Park. All residents, visitors and first responders are safe.”
Anneliese Lager, who has owned and lived in the Austrian Haven Inn for 30 years, said she is waiting to hear if it has been destroyed but is not optimistic because all the nearby homes are gone. She said she fled with her 13 cats and dogs.
“I have no idea where I’m going now. Heaven or hell. This has been my life. You can imagine how much work I’ve put in,” she said. “I think I’m in shock.”
She said her relatives, including her daughter and son-in-law, had their homes destroyed. “The heat dried everything up. Now the city is gone,” she said.
Lager was living with a kind stranger in Valmont, British Columbia, but said she would eventually need to find new homes for her family members and “pets.”
“I am a very strong woman. Whatever happens I will start over even though I am 82 years old,” she said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his administration has approved Alberta’s request for federal assistance, including military resources.
Jasper National Park is a national treasure. The parks that make up the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, were designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1984 for their stunning mountain scenery.
Alberta was experiencing scorching temperatures that had already forced another 7,500 people to evacuate from remote areas. There were about 176 fires burning across the province, including 54 that were out of control.
Alberta Forests and Parks Minister Todd Loewon said many of the fires were caused by lightning, and Alberta Forest Fire Management spokeswoman Kristy Tucker said firefighters expect winds to increase the danger.
Hundreds of firefighters from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa are arriving to help battle wildfires across the province, Tucker said.
Record number of Forest fires In 2023, Tropical Storm Katrina forced more than 235,000 people across Canada to evacuate and sent thick smoke into parts of the United States, leading to hazy skies and health advisories in several U.S. cities.
