Jasper wildfire destroys "potentially 50%" of town: Alberta premier
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was in tears Thursday morning during the province’s update on the rapidly evolving wildfire situation in Jasper National Park and the rest of Alberta.
During a press briefing in Edmonton, Smith was visibly emotional as she described a “wall of flames” hitting the townsite, claiming that potentially 50% of the town has burned. Parks Canada has not yet confirmed the extent of the damage.
“To those in Alberta and around the world who experienced the magic of Jasper, the magic is not lost, and it never will be,” Smith said.
As many Albertans have expressed since news broke of the blaze reaching the townsite, Smith described Jasper’s special place in people’s hearts.
“For many generations, the town of Jasper and the park surrounding it have been a source of pride, with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Our grandparents visited to experience the majesty of this place, with its mountains and lakes and meadows. They took our parents who then took us to this special spot that they’d spend time in as children,” she tearfully explained.
“And now we take our own children and visitors from around the world to get that same feeling that you get with your first glimpse of the mountains on the horizon. A feeling that even though you’ve just left home, you’re coming home.”
The province will be moving to a “unified command centre” to allow various government levels to collaborate on the wildfire response. Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajan will be in Edmonton later today to help coordinate the response.
According to provincial officials and the most recent update from Jasper National Park, the wildfire situation in Jasper remains out of control.
Jasper National Park received a small amount of rain overnight, and while it helped to reduce fire activity, it was “not enough to have made a meaningful impact on the overall wildfire situation.”
The situation in the beloved national park evolved rapidly, from the first report of a wildfire starting to the northeast of the town of Jasper on Monday evening to a second fire south of town shortly after. Within 48 hours, the wildfires reached the Jasper townsite.
Despite the rapid pace of the fire, no injuries have been reported. Parks Canada says that approximately 25,000 people were safely evacuated from the town of Jasper and Jasper National Park. All residents, visitors and responders are reportedly safe.
During an update provided by Parks Canada and Town of Jasper mayor Richard Ireland Thursday afternoon, they explained that the damage to the townsite has not yet been officially confirmed due to fires still actively burning in the town.
Photos and videos of structures ablaze and homes burned to the ground have been circulating on social media.
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