Jasper Facing ‘Significant Loss’ of Buildings, Infrastructure as Wildfire Ravages Town

A wildfire burns as an empty street in Jasper, Alta., is shown in this July 24, 2024 photo. The Canadian Press/HO, Facebook, Jasper National Park

The mountain town of Jasper, Alta., was the scene of destruction late July 24 as one of two out-of-control wildfires tore through the small community destroying several buildings and placing critical infrastructure at risk.

The blaze within Jasper National Park reached the town at approximately 6 p.m., not long after wildland firefighters and first responders were evacuated to the town of Hinton due to dangerous air quality.

Structural firefighters remain on scene to “save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure,” Parks Canada said in a 10 p.m. MT update.

“As the pictures and videos circulating online show, significant loss has occurred within the townsite,” Parks Canada said in its social media post. “Our focus continues to be on saving as many structures as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t report on the extent of damage to specific locations or neighbourhoods at this time.”

The Maligne Lodge, a hotel at the southwest end of town, has been destroyed by the flames, Decore Hotels CEO Karyn Decore said in an Instagram post.

“Sadly we lost our beloved hotel The Maligne Lodge this evening. It was proudly owned and operated by our family since 1961,” she wrote. “We are so devastated and we are also so sad for all the other business owners, operators, residents and wonderful people who call Jasper home.”

The iconic Jasper Park Lodge, one of the most luxurious and storied resorts in the area, has also been impacted, although the extent of the damage to the 102-year-old resort is not yet known.

“We can confirm that the fire has reached the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge grounds however we are unclear about the extent of the damage,” the lodge said in a late night social media post.

“At this time we know that parts of the resort remain untouched.”

Military Aid Approved

As the battle to save the town continues, Ottawa has approved Alberta’s request for military assistance.

The move comes after ​​Alberta’s Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis and Forestry Minister Todd Loewen officially petitioned the federal government for help from Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

“We’re deploying Canadian Forces resources, evacuations support, and more emergency wildfire resources to the province immediately — and we’re coordinating firefighting and airlift assistance,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a July 25 post on X. “Alberta, we’re with you.”

Defence Minister Bill Blair also said on X that military personnel and resources are being made available to help Jasper. Neither Mr. Blair nor the prime minister offered specific details on where in the province the soldiers will be deployed or what they will be tasked with.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was “heartbroken” that the flames had reached the town but was thankful all residents and visitors were successfully evacuated earlier in the week.

“The safety of everyone is our number one priority,” she said in a July 24 X post. “I want to thank all of our firefighters and crews who have been hard at work fighting this fire day and night. The Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park have all hands on deck. Alberta Wildfire is on the ground supporting them.”

Flames Thwart Prevention Plans

Parks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth and Municipality of Jasper Incident Commander Christine Nadon, in a joint Facebook post, said afternoon “suppression efforts” to protect the town via helicopter bucketing “proved ineffective” July 24, adding that water bombers from Alberta were unable to assist due to “dangerous flying conditions.”

The plan to erect fireguards was also thwarted by the approaching flames forcing heavy equipment operators “to be pulled off the fireline for safety,” they said.

“An ignition specialist also arrived, with the goal to complete landscape-level ignition in order to bring the fire to large holding features such as Highway 16 and Athabasca River,” they wrote. “Unfortunately, unfavourable conditions prevented this.”

Ten to 20 millimetres of rain is forecasted to hit Jasper beginning overnight, the statement said.

“If the area receives rain it will help to reduce fire activity.”

The Weather Network is forecasting rain throughout the day in Jasper with a high of 15 degrees with the cooler weather continuing into July 26 when additional evening showers are predicted.

Jasper is home to 4,700 residents and hosts tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe each year as the townsite for one of Canada’s most famous national parks.

The United Nations designated the parks that make up the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, a World Heritage Site in 1984 for its picturesque mountain landscape.

The park is famous for its hiking trails and abundant wildlife and is home to dozens of species such as cougars, elk, lynx, black bears, and grizzly bears.