The mayor of Jasper, Alta., says a plan is in place to allow residents to return to see the condition of their homes, but the fires and weather aren’t cooperating.
“They want to come back and see their home,” Richard Ireland told reporters in Hinton, Alta., on Thursday, alongside his provincial and national counterparts.
“It’s devastating, but it’s also part of the healing journey we all have to take.”
Mr Ireland said people would only be able to return when it was safe, noting there were still fires burning in the surrounding area.
“Weather conditions like this – rising temperatures, decreasing humidity and forecasts of increasing winds – are all ways to fan the flames,” he said.
“So we are cautious, but we recognize the need and we are working on it.”
The wildfire that forced 25,000 people out of Jasper National Park 10 days ago, including 5,000 residents of the town of Jasper, has been extinguished in the community but continues to burn in the park and remains a threat.
About a third of the city’s structures were destroyed, but key infrastructure, including schools and the water treatment plant, was spared.
Evacuees were directed to centres in Edmonton, Calgary and Grande Prairie.
Some people living in seniors’ residences who were forced to flee west when the fire initially cut off access routes to the east were shuttled to accommodations in Hinton from communities in British Columbia, including Valemount.
“We need to get these people back to this side of the border,” said Jason Nixon, Alberta’s Minister of Seniors.
Work continued on other fronts.
Parks Canada says sprinklers have been installed on some buildings north of the park’s townsite in anticipation of increased fire activity.
Speed up the process
Power has been restored to the city center and crews are currently working to clean up debris.
Parks Canada says a damage assessment map is being developed and will be published shortly.
A plan was being prepared to allow campers who had to abandon their caravans in the park to return to collect them.
Route 16, which runs through the park, has been reopened during certain hours of high commercial traffic to maintain the movement of goods while allowing fire crews to move around and have some flexibility.
Federal and provincial officials said they are working to expedite the processing of insurance claims, development permits and paperwork to help Jasper residents find work and rebuild the community.
As of Thursday afternoon, about 118 forest fires were raging in the province’s forest protection zone, 19 of which were out of control.
City staff said the Jasper fire is estimated to be 325 square kilometres in size.