Residents of Jasper, Alta., will be allowed to return home Friday, but they shouldn’t expect to spend the night there, wildfire officials say.
“People will be able to go and see their property, but it is likely that they will have to spend the night elsewhere,” Christine Nadon, the city’s chief operations officer, said Monday.
According to Mme Nadon said the conditions for return were met at an “unprecedented pace.” This included restoring emergency services to a basic level and reconnecting most other infrastructure, such as electricity and water.
Essential businesses, including grocery stores, are still in the process of being restored, Nadon said.
“We hope this first step will bring some hope to the community,” said Jonathan Large, Parks Canada’s chief of operations.
Nearly three weeks ago, about 25,000 people fled the town of Jasper and its famed national park as wildfires closed in on the region. The flames destroyed a third of the town’s buildings. Critical infrastructure, such as schools and the water treatment plant, was spared.
Over the weekend, Parks Canada said it would take more than three weeks to restore residential services.
By Sunday evening, the out-of-control fire had spread over 330 km2On August 3, firefighting efforts claimed the life of Morgan Kitchen, a 24-year-old firefighter from Calgary.
There are currently no more shelter resources in place for people who have lost their homes, Christine Nadon said. As such, authorities are recommending waiting a few days before returning to the city.
“Whether your house is still standing or not, you can’t really count on being able to spend the night there. So people need to prepare to return to their current accommodations,” the city’s operations manager explained.
“If a house is still standing, there could be significant damage inside. For those who no longer have a house, they are welcome to come and see their land, but obviously they have to plan to stay elsewhere,” she added.