‘Monster’ Fires Ravage Historic Jasper Canada

Devastating wildfires have ravaged up to half of the historic town of Jasper in Alberta, Canada, as firefighters continue their efforts to salvage what they can. Entire streets have been reduced to ashes, with videos showing nothing but smoldering rubble where homes once stood.

Despite a slight relief from cooling temperatures on Thursday, the fires remain uncontrollable, and park authorities anticipate more warm weather in the coming days. In neighboring British Columbia, hundreds of active fires continue to burn, while wildfires also affect western U.S. states such as California and Utah.

Though no fatalities have been reported, approximately 20,000 tourists and 5,000 residents have evacuated the mountainous Alberta region, a renowned tourist destination. Jasper National Park reported late Thursday night that about 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres) of land have been affected, but neighboring communities are not currently at risk.

Efforts to map the fires have been hindered by strong winds, extreme fire conditions, and thick smoke. During a news conference on Thursday, a tearful Alberta Premier Danielle Smith struggled to convey the extent of the damage, noting that “potentially 30 to 50%” of buildings had been destroyed.

“There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community,” Smith said, adding that Jasper National Park had been “a source of pride” for many generations. She became visibly emotional as she described the park’s beauty and its importance to the community, which heavily relies on tourism, attracting around 2.5 million visitors each year.

The fires have also disrupted rail, phone, and power services in the area, according to CBC News. Karyn Decore, owner of the Maligne Lodge in Jasper, was on vacation when she learned her hotel had burned down. She received a photograph of the building in flames on Wednesday night.

“I was horrified and devastated when I saw that photo,” Decore told the BBC. “It’s really hard for everyone to comprehend that we lost one of our properties,” she said, expressing her intent to rebuild the lodge.

BBC journalist Wendy Hurrell was in Jasper National Park when the fires started on Monday. She recounted driving through the night with her husband and daughter to escape the town.

“The storm was ferocious – the skies went dark red and there were whipping winds, fierce rain, and lightning,” Hurrell said. “We are some of the last travelers to see Jasper in its full beauty – it will be a very long time before it will recover. It’s utterly devastating for them all and my heart is breaking.”

Hundreds of firefighters from around the world have been deployed to help with the response, but officials warn that the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. On Thursday, the focus was on containing the towering flames that engulfed the town from both sides.

Pierre Martel, director of the national fire management program at Parks Canada, explained that the fire was sparked by a lightning storm and escalated late Wednesday due to powerful winds.

“It [was] just a monster at that point,” Martel said. “There are no tools we have in our toolbox to deal with it.”

In some areas, flames reached heights of 100 meters (328 feet), spreading rapidly over large areas. Mike Ellis, Alberta’s minister for public safety, noted that the fire, initially 5km (3 miles) outside of Jasper, reached the town in less than 30 minutes due to strong winds.

“Any firefighter will tell you there is little to nothing you can do when you have a wall of flames coming at you like that,” Ellis said. “Nobody anticipated that fire to come so fast, so large, and so quickly.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed gratitude to the emergency services for their response to the wildfires.

“As the heartbreaking images from Jasper emerge, I want to thank the brave first responders who are in Alberta right now, fighting to save every home and every community they can,” Trudeau said.

This disaster follows another challenging fire season for Alberta, where a record 2.2 million hectares burned last year between March 1 and October 31.

Wildfires Affect Other Regions

In British Columbia, more than 400 wildfires are currently burning, prompting numerous evacuation orders. In the U.S., over 3,000 people have evacuated due to the Park Fire in California, which remains uncontrolled. A man has been arrested in connection with the blaze, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Oregon, Montana, and Utah are also grappling with ongoing wildfires. Despite a global decrease in the number of fires over the past two decades, researchers warn that climate change could increase the risk of wildfires, particularly due to more frequent lightning strikes in northern forests.

From: Greenbayclother