(Edmonton) Parks Canada officials say crews are making good progress fighting the wildfire in Jasper National Park, but they expect firefighting to continue well into the fall.
In a virtual news conference Tuesday, the agency’s incident commander, Landon Shepherd, told reporters that rain helped firefighters battle the wildfire that ravaged the town of Jasper two weeks ago.
The fire, which continues to burn in the park and threaten the city, was estimated at 340 square kilometers, an area unchanged from the previous day.
“We are making progress toward securing the fire around the community of Jasper [et] areas near or adjacent to the Jasper community,” Shepherd said.
“The long-term prognosis is a little less rosy in terms of overall wildfire control,” he added.
About 25,000 residents and visitors were forced to leave the city and the park, which remain under an evacuation order.
About a third of the city’s structures were destroyed, but key infrastructure, including schools and the water treatment plant, was spared from the flames.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Parks Canada Incident Commander Landon Shepherd is pictured in yellow.
Mr. Shepherd said firefighting crews expect firefighting efforts to continue into early November.
“We hope to continue to have the help of Mother Nature, who helps us in some of the most remote and very difficult to access areas in this rocky mountainous terrain,” he said.
“But as it stands… we are making very good progress and seeing fewer and fewer hot spots in the sense that we have been trying to control in recent weeks.”
The mild weather
Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker said there were 119 wildfires burning across the province Tuesday, with 15 still considered out of control. The weekend saw 25 new wildfires break out across the province, she added.
The risk of wildfires is low in western and central Alberta because of recent rains, she said, but the risk is higher in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the province.
“Conditions are expected to start to warm and dry out in the northern part of the province,” Mr.me Tucker.
“With cooler weather and rain over the weekend, we were able to make good progress strengthening wildfire containment lines in this area. Crews are prepared for a potential increase in activity,” she continued.
Visits to assess the damage, but no return planned
Officials said a limited number of essential services and retail outlets, including gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies, were conducting initial damage assessments as preparations for the return to school continue.
There is still no deadline for residents to return to Jasper, but bus tours have begun for residents, with priority given to those whose homes were lost or damaged.
The province said Tuesday that 576 people had signed up for the tours. Residents are not allowed to get off the buses while in town.
Separate circuits are also provided for business owners to assess property damage for insurance and reconstruction purposes.