Thousands of people forced from their homes in the heart of Jasper National Park are facing uncertainty Wednesday as fires to the north and south continue to threaten the townsite.
At least 10,000 residents were forced out of the national park Monday night as the flames moved dangerously close to the scenic mountain town. Another 15,000 visitors also had to leave.
Multiple fires are burning in the park but two — fuelled by parched conditions, scorching heat and shifting winds — have put the community under threat.
Emergency officials with Parks Canada are expected to provide an update on the fire situation Wednesday at 11 a.m. MT. You can watch the news conference here.
As of Tuesday evening, the wildfire to the south of Jasper had burned at least 6,750 hectares and drawn within 12 kilometres of the townsite.
The southern fire stretches from the Kerkeslin campground and follows the Icefields Parkway to the north. It has burned areas near Horseshoe Lake and Wabasso Lake.
The north wildfire, between the Jasper transfer station and the Jasper airstrip on both sides of Highway 16, has burned at least 270 hectares.
Crews have been tracking the flames from the sky, but accurately mapping their spread has been stymied by thick columns of smoke filling the sky.
“It’s a really dynamic and evolving situation,” incident commander Katie Ellsworth said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
“The fire behaviour is very, very aggressive.”
The town has emptied out but in the backcountry, the evacuation is considered ongoing. Emergency officials remain concerned about hikers who may still be unaccounted for.
Jasper is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies — covering 11,228 square kilometres of extensive trails and mountain terrain — and getting the message out to everyone on the trail has proven difficult.
Helicopter crews have been helping to evacuate people from the backcountry. Albertans are encouraged to contact people who may be in the mountains and unaware of the fire danger.
Volatile conditions
Ellsworth said Tuesday she called for the evacuation orders to be issued as the fires flared dangerously Monday evening. Volatile conditions were driven weeks of relentless heat and strong gusting winds, she said.
“These fires were exhibiting aggressive, aggressive fire behaviour,” she said.
“Unfortunately due to the weather conditions at the time, and the gusting strong winds, it was really quickly very apparent that life safety needed to come first and we needed to evacuate immediately.”
After the order to leave, thousands of vehicles gridlocked roads leading to safety.
With wildfires cutting off highway access east to Edmonton and south along the Icefields Parkway, many were forced west into British Columbia. Evacuees were initially ordered west but were later redirected to Alberta.
Reception centres have since been set up north of Jasper in Grande Prairie as well as in Calgary and Edmonton, where evacuees are being helped with accommodations.
Parks Canada is managing the firefighting efforts from a unified command centre but local, provincial and federal agencies are assisting in the response.
Crews are dousing the flames from the sky and establishing fire guards around the community while sprinkler systems are being installed to protect critical infrastructure.
“The degree of collaboration and co-operation is extremely high,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in an interview Wednesday. “Those jurisdictional boundaries are just forgotten. People are working as a team.”
The town is now focused on providing critical services to first responders who have descended on the area, Ireland said.
“As the fire approaches, that may have to change. We’ll see how the day goes.”