A wildfire burns as an empty street in Jasper, Alta. is shown in this Wednesday, July 24, 2024 handout photo from the Jasper National Park Facebook page. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Facebook, Jasper National Park *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Republished July 25, 2024 - 9:32 PM
Original Publication Date July 25, 2024 - 10:16 AM
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says up to half of the buildings in Jasper may have been burned after wildfires swept through the evacuated community.
Here are the latest developments on the wildfire situation in Alberta (all times are MT):
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10:13 p.m.
Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park.
A statement from the park Thursday night says up to 15 millimetres of rain has fallen in the area since midnight, leading to minimal fire spread.
The park says the precipitation means fire behaviour will likely be low over the next 72 hours.
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7:13 p.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spoken with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith about the wildfire situation in Jasper.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says the leaders spoke about the resources and support being made available to the fire-ravaged town as well as other communities in Alberta being threatened by wildfires.
It says Trudeau and Smith have agreed to stay in regular contact as the situation unfolds.
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5:10 p.m.
The operators of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge say most structures at the historic hotel have survived the wildfire that hit the community, and they plan to reopen in future.
A social media post on the lodge’s X account says although the hotel suffered some damage, the main lodge is “intact and standing” and the operators are “deeply relieved” that much of the property was spared.
The post says the hotel will need time to assess the damage and how long it will take to repair.
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4:46 p.m.
Parks Canada says all critical infrastructure in Jasper was protected when a fire swept through the evacuated community.
The agency says on social media that incident command has confirmed the hospital, emergency services building, schools and the wastewater treatment plant were saved.
Parks Canada says structural protection crews are still fighting blazes in the town, as the fire moves “from one building to another.”
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4:10 p.m.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, in a news conference with provincial counterpart Mike Ellis in Edmonton, confirms all necessary resources will be brought to bear on the fires.
Sajjan says "no stone will be left unturned."
He says given the intensity of the fires, every aid request from the province was approved by the federal government.
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3:30 p.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has convened a meeting of the incident response group.
The committee brings together relevant cabinet members and government officials to address serious incidents like natural disasters.
Trudeau says every federal agency is co-ordinated in efforts to send aid and resources to Jasper.
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2:30 p.m.
Telus says some landline and cellphone services around Jasper are down due to wildfire damage to infrastructure.
Technicians are now working to restore services and priority is being given to restoring voice calls, including those to 9-1-1 and emergency services.
It says the company is securing helicopters to help get critical cell towers operational again.
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1:02 p.m.
Two years ago, Alice Varshavska fled war-torn Ukraine, and now she's among the thousands of wildfire evacuees from Jasper.
The restaurant server, who registered at an evacuation centre in Calgary, says she left Jasper so quickly she only had time to bring documents, her phone and her most important belongings.
She thinks the possibility of going back to Jasper where she had found a better life is now fading.
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1 p.m.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's still waiting on specifics about what has been lost in Jasper but there is no doubt the town is in for a "significant rebuild."
Smith told a news conference that early reports indicate that a third and perhaps up to half of all buildings in the historic Rocky Mountain resort town are burned.
Images on social media depict entire blocks of homes and businesses burned to charred foundations.
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12:41 p.m.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says preliminary reports suggest up to half the structures in Jasper have been burned.
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12:35 p.m.
Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker says strong winds are expected to raise the fire risk, particularly in areas that did not see overnight rain.
She has told a news conference that rain in the north has reduced some of the risk, but the danger is still "extreme" in the northeast and south.
She says there are 176 active wildfires in Alberta, including 54 that are burning out of control.
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12:10 p.m.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has fought back tears while consoling Jasper residents.
Smith told a news conference that images coming out of Jasper were "horrific."
She says that although the exact scale of destruction is not clear, it's the "worst nightmare for any community."
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11:45 a.m.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says it has activated its virtual assistance program to provide information to residents affected by wildfires in Alberta.
The bureau says its Virtual Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion is staffed with trained personnel who can help address residents' questions about their home, business and vehicle insurance policies.
Rob de Pruis, the national director of consumer and industry relations for the bureau, says his thoughts are with the Jasper community as the extent of the structure losses is still being assessed.
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11:30 a.m.
Parks Canada says "significant" structural firefighting reinforcements arrived in Jasper overnight to help get the wildfire situation under control.
It says officials with Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper are based in the Town of Hinton, about 80 kilometres to the east, as they manage the emergency.
The agency says officials understand that people are desperate for information about the status of their homes and community, but officials cannot yet share information about the extent of the damage at specific locations.
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11:15 a.m.
Parks Canada says Jasper National Park saw a small amount of rain overnight, helping reduce fire activity "slightly," but it wasn't enough to have a meaningful impact on the out-of-control blaze.
The agency says the emergency unfolded rapidly Monday night as two fires north and south of Jasper both reached the town within 48 hours.
It says the evacuation involved about 25,000 people from the town and the national park, and there have been no injuries reported as a result of the blazes.
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10:44 a.m.
Calgary emergency officials say they're sending crews to help battle the Jasper wildfire.
Sue Henry, the head of Calgary's emergency services, says 19 Calgary crews were headed north to the fire scene.
Calgary is the location of one of two evacuation centres set up to handle those fleeing the fires in Jasper National Park, with the other in Grande Prairie.
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10:44 a.m.
A social media video is showing widespread destruction in Jasper.
The images depict rain-slicked streets in the town and grey-black structures razed to charred foundations.
The video appears to have been shot from an emergency vehicle, with radio chatter about the firefighting efforts before the truck stops in front of a destroyed property and someone says "that's mom and dad's house."
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2024.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2024