Police are conducting door-to-door checks in Jasper, Alta., to ensure all 10,000 residents and visitors have fled the town located at the heart of one of the nation’s most famous national parks as the flames from an approaching wildfire creep closer.
The entire national park was issued an evacuation order just after 10 p.m. July 22 after a fire approaching from the south placed the town at risk and closed highways to the east and south.
The result was an endless line of slow-moving cars and trucks heading west through the mountains to B.C. under dark, smokey skies.
Many evacuees sought refuge for the night in Valemount, B.C., a town of 1,000 approximately 120 kilometres west of Jasper.
While wildfire evacuees forced to flee Jasper were initially told to drive to British Columbia, many were rerouted back into Alberta because B.C. has its hands full 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 that are already in B.C. are being urged 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.
One fire is approximately 12 kilometres south of Jasper on both sides of the Athabasca River and wind gusts could fan the flames, Mr. Ellis said.
“It’s a challenging time for all impacted,” he added. “Albertans need to remain vigilant.”
Evacuation from the townsite and the park is “progressing well,” Jasper National Park said in a July 23 post on its Facebook page.
“Evacuees should continue on Highway 16 through B.C. and select a route back to Alberta,” the post said, noting that the Town of Valemount is unable to accommodate any more evacuees.
Despite the high level of traffic, Mr. Lacroix said there have been no traffic accidents or other injuries reported.
Multiple Wildfires
There are currently multiple wildfires in Jasper National Park, the park said.“Parks Canada had aircraft out assessing the wildfires at first light to get eyes on wildfire activity and behaviour, identify impacted infrastructure and set firefighting objectives for the day,” the post reads.
“Our priority is to protect the town and community of Jasper, limiting wildfire growth towards town, Highway 16 and critical infrastructure. Critical structural protection is being managed by fire teams from across the region.”
Alberta Wildfire spokesperson Christie Tucker told reporters during the conference that winds are expected to increase, making it a “challenging” day as firefighters work to contain 170 fires burning across the province, 56 of which are out of control.
“Wildfire danger is extreme in most of the province right now,” she said.
Lightning strikes are responsible for the majority of the fires in the province, including the fires in the Jasper area, Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen said during the press conference. The fires have been further exacerbated by days of 30-plus-degree temperatures.
Altogether, it is estimated there are approximately 17,500 people across the province who have been evacuated.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
