Jasper Evacuations Complete as Crews Battle Wildfire Just 12 Kilometres From Town

Evacuees from Jasper, Alta., clog the highway early on July 23, 2024. (The Canadian Press/HO-X/@_CLCampbell)

Roughly 25,000 residents and visitors have fled Jasper, Alta., completing the evacuation of the town located in the heart of Jasper National Park as a wildfire rages only 12 kilometres south of the community.

While the evacuation of the town is complete, the evacuation of hikers in the backcountry continues, Parks Canada staff said in a late afternoon post July 23.

Fire crews continue to battle two wildfires—one south of Jasper, and one 12 kilometres north of the townsite, located between the Jasper Transfer Station and the Jasper Air Strip on both sides of Highway 16, the post said.

The wildfire closest to the town has burnt 270 hectares (667 acres) thus far while the southern wildfire near Kerkeslin campground has burned an estimated 6,750 hectares (16,679 acres).

Parks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth described the situation as “dynamic and evolving.”

“Helicopter resources are currently bucketing high priority targets and evacuating people in the backcountry,” Ms. Ellsworth said during a July 23 press conference. “Structure protection is currently being installed on critical infrastructure, and this is being managed by fire teams from across the region.”

She said Parks Canada and Alberta Wildfire are working together to contain the fires as additional firefighting resources and aircraft arrive on-scene to help battle the flames.

“As always, our priority is to protect the town and the community of Jasper, limiting wildfire spread and growth toward the town, Highway 16, and the critical infrastructure that the community and the Incident Management Team rely on,” she said.

No major structural damage within Jasper National Park or the community of Jasper had been reported by Parks Canada as of late July 23.

Seeking Safety

The entire national park was issued an evacuation order just after 10 p.m. on July 22, resulting in an endless line of slow-moving cars and trucks heading west through the mountains to B.C.

While wildfire evacuees forced to flee Jasper were initially told to drive to British Columbia, many have since been rerouted back into Alberta because B.C. is grappling with its own wildfires and evacuations, Alberta Emergency Management Agency managing director Stephen Lacroix said during a July 23 video press conference.

“The issue is the severity of wildfire activity and evacuations in B.C. proper,” Mr. Lacroix said. “That’s why the decision was made there to route people back into Alberta through the safest route available, given the fire conditions.”

Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said reception centres are available for evacuees in Grande Prairie to the north and Calgary to the south.

Evacuees already in B.C. are being told to drive through Prince George, B.C., and then head north and east to Grande Prairie, or south to Kamloops before driving east to Calgary.

Many of the evacuees who were trapped in traffic for hours have since found safety.

Jasper remains under an air quality advisory as smoke from the fires continues to fill the skies in and around the park.

After days of 30-plus-degree temperatures, the heat has abated with a high of 25 degrees expected July 24 and light rain expected to begin in the evening and continue throughout  the following day, according to The Weather Network. The rain July 25 will be accompanied by cooler temperatures with a high of only 15 degrees.

According to Alberta Wildfire, there were 175 fires burning across the province by the morning of July 24, 58 of which are out of control.

The Canadian Press  contributed to this report.