About half of the town of Jasper’s infrastructure and homes have been destroyed by the rapidly expanding wildfire in the Canadian Rockies.
The authorities’ worst nightmare about the extent of the devastation has come true and the only consolation remains the fact that the Fire Department, Civil Protection and Police quickly coordinated with local authorities to evacuate the city in time and there were no casualties.
More than 25,000 people – locals and tourists – were forced to evacuate the town overnight and this morning. Many of them saw their fortunes and life’s work reduced to ashes. However, no injuries were reported in the picturesque resort.
Richard Ireland, the city’s mayor, said in a letter posted on social media that the fire “has devastated our beloved community.”
There are no words. Jasper is completely burned. pic.twitter.com/lV8koLhzUR
-Ryan Jespersen (@ryanjespersen) July 25, 2024
Indescribable disaster
“There are no words to describe the extent of the devastation and loss that many of you are experiencing,” he said, adding that he writes these words with “deep sadness as we come to terms with the devastating impact.”
Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, also admitted that up to 50 percent of the city’s structures were damaged. “We don’t know exactly which structures are damaged and which are completely destroyed, but significant reconstruction is going to be required,” Smith said.
Speaking of the beauty of Jasper, he highlighted that it was a place regularly visited by other people from all over Canada.
The postcard-perfect mountain town of Jasper offers hiking, skiing, kayaking, and biking. It’s also home to dozens of animal species, including deer, mountain goats, cougars, bobcats, black bears, and grizzly bears.
Rainbow moose in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada pic.twitter.com/Uf7NBOCwN8
-Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) May 21, 2023
“We share the loss of everyone who lives in the city,” Smith said at a news conference in Edmonton, Alberta. “The Government of Alberta will provide the support families and communities need to recover and rebuild.”
The resort of Jasper and the neighboring Jasper National Forest were threatened by fires to the north and south, and the 5,000 permanent residents, along with 20,000 visitors, fled. The flames entered the southern end of the community and began their destructive work.
![Canada Wildfires: Nightmare Come True - Massive Devastation in Jasper (Video, Photos) 1 canada anthropoi](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/canada-anthropoi.jpg)
A huge wall of flames
Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said a gust of wind caused the fire to spread more than 5 kilometres in less than 30 minutes, despite berms installed by the fire department. It was as if a huge wall of fire hundreds of metres high had risen.
“People have to imagine what the firefighters were going through at that moment. Any firefighter will tell you there’s nothing you can do when something like that happens,” Ellis said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government has approved Alberta’s request for federal assistance, including military resources.
Truly heartbreaking what is happening in JASPER National Park. However, if TRUDEAU and the team were not so focused on sending money to other countries, perhaps they could have focused on proper forest management and had the tools available to put out fires. SAD pic.twitter.com/vniB6r4rBk
-Melissa (@MelissaLMRogers) July 25, 2024
At X, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s report said that flames had reached the hotel, but the extent of the damage was not specified. However, it was evacuated.
Jasper National Forest is considered a national treasure and has been a World Heritage Site since 1984.
54 wildfires burning out of control in Alberta
Alberta is being baked by temperatures that have already forced more than 7,500 people to flee remote communities. Some 176 fires have burned in the past 24 hours across the province, including 54 that were out of control.
Alberta Forests and Parks Minister Todd Lowen said many of the fires were caused by lightning. Hundreds of firefighters from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa are arriving to help battle blazes across the province.