Some Jasper, Alta., evacuees could load on busses as early as Sunday to see for the first time the devastation wrought by an immense wildfire, government officials said Saturday.
On Friday, the government opened up registrations for the tour to residents, giving priority to those whose homes were destroyed or damaged, but did not provide a date as to when they would occur.
Provincial emergency officials hosted a virtual news conference Saturday afternoon, during which they announced those tours would begin Sunday if fire conditions allow.
“We know returning to the community for the first time can be very difficult for residents,” said Joe Zatylny, deputy managing director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
Officials estimate that 358 of the 1,113 total structures in Jasper, Alta., a town about 365 kilometres west of Edmonton, were destroyed in the recent wildfire. The municipality released a map and list of addresses that showed most of the destruction was in west Jasper and south of Miette Avenue.
The map and the list were based on what was visible from the street. Further damage assessments would have to be conducted to determine the full toll of the wildfire, which officials described as a monster, its flames reaching more than 100 metres high when it hit Jasper the evening of July 24.
The tours are open to all evacuees, Zatylny said, but priority will be give to people whose homes were damaged or destroyed. Those who sign up will not be allowed off the bus.
If conditions are safe enough, tours will leave from Edmonton and Hinton, Alta., a town east of Jasper National Park, Zatylny said.