Fast-moving wildfires that started in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, last week have since closed the protected land indefinitely and spread to the park’s namesake city, leveling businesses and forcing locals and visitors alike to evacuate.
“This emergency evolved rapidly from the first report of a wildfire starting to the northeast of the town of Jasper on the evening of Monday, July 22, just after 7 p.m., to a second fire south of town shortly after,” the municipality of Jasper wrote on social media. “Within 48 hours, the wildfires reached town.”
An estimated 25,000 people were caught up in the evacuation, of which 20,000 were visiting the park or the town, while the rest were local residents, Stephen Lacroix of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency said during a news conference on Tuesday, July 23.
While there have been no immediate reports of injuries, much of the historic townsite has been damaged. A video shared widely on social media on Thursday showed charred rubble and scorched trees; in the background, someone is heard saying, “That’s Mom and Dad’s house.” While the full scale of the damage thus far isn’t known, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in a press conference that 30 to 50 percent of buildings in Jasper are already potentially destroyed.
“We don’t know particularly which structures have been damaged and which ones have been destroyed, but that is going to be a significant rebuild,” Smith said.
In the coming days, more than 400 additional firefighters from around the world will supplement the crews already battling the inferno in Jasper. Though the park received some rain overnight, the fire remains volatile and out of control, according to park officials, with flames reaching 400 feet tall and spreading at a rate of approximately 50 feet per minute.
According to the British Columbia Wildfire Service, the region has been hit with more than 58,000 lightning strikes in the past week, which ignited the dry environment after a three-week heat wave, though it’s not yet clear whether the wildfires had other sources, too.
The largest national park in Canada, Jasper was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984. Renowned for its vast ice fields, turquoise glacial lakes, world-class hiking trails, and famously dark skies, it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, receiving roughly 2.5 million visitors annually.
The town, founded in 1813, is the central hub for visitors to the park. Dozens of hotels and lodges, restaurants, tour operators, and other shops help support the guest experience. It’s unclear how much of the community will remain once the fires are put out.
In response to the fire, Parks Canada has canceled reservations for the more than 2,000 individual campsites and 90 backcountry campgrounds in Jasper National Park until at least August 6. Those affected have already been or will be refunded. There is no estimated date for reopening, given that the fires are still blazing and that the sites will need to be cleaned after the fires are extinguished, as most visitors left quickly.
The Canadian National Railway and Via Rail Canada, the two national train companies, have suspended service throughout the area and have started issuing refunds, citing the inability to guarantee safe operation.
Air Canada and WestJet announced they will allow customers affected by the Jasper evacuations to rebook or cancel tickets without additional fees for travel until July 28.
For those who would like to help, Jasper Community Team Society, a local registered nonprofit, has set up a donations page.
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