Jasper National Park closed for at least two weeks due to wildfires

Jasper National Park to be closed for at least two weeks due to wildfires

Alberta Wildfire/Facebook | Catherine Coates Walts/Facebook

Jasper National Park will be closed until at least early August as nearby wildfires forced the evacuation of the Town of Jasper and the park itself late Monday evening.

A notice on the Parks Canada website for Jasper National Park states that “reservations from July 23 to August 6 in Jasper National Park will automatically be cancelled, and a full refund will be given. Please do not cancel these reservations manually online or by calling.”

The notice went on to say that there is no current estimate for reopening and stressed once again that until the park reopens, reservations will be cancelled automatically. It added that if you wish to cancel reservations beyond August 6, regular cancellation charges may apply.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this news brings to your travel plans, but we appreciate your patience as we take necessary action to keep our visitors safe,” the notice added.

You might also like:

As of Tuesday afternoon, Jasper National Park stated on its Facebook page that Parks Canada had aircraft out assessing the wildfires at first light to get eyes on wildfire activity and behavior, identify impacted infrastructure and set firefighting objectives for the day.

“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,” the post added.

Evacuation of the Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park is ongoing. Evacuees need to travel west on Highway 16 to larger centers. Fuel is available at the Shell gas station.

The Town of Valemount has limited services and cannot accommodate more evacuees at this time. Evacuees should continue on Highway 16 through BC and select a route back to Alberta.

Anyone requiring a reception centre is directed to Shouldice Arena in Calgary or Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Avenue, in Grande Prairie, which will open at 9 am on Tuesday, July 23.

This morning, the RCMP went door-to-door, ensuring that all residents had evacuated. Thirty-five RCMP officers are on site to ensure safety and assist with the evacuation process. All seniors’ living facilities and the hospital have been evacuated to Hinton.

Daily Hive reached out to Parks Canada for further information regarding the reservation cancellations, however as of writing, did not hear back.