A preliminary map of damage to the town of Jasper, Alberta, has been released by the municipality. The wildfire that ravaged the town earlier this week continues to burn out of control in the national park.
“The pain our city is experiencing is beyond comprehension,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a statement from the city. “Our homes were filled with memories, and were homes to our families, our friendships and our community.”
Premier Danielle Smith, along with Richard Ireland and other dignitaries, toured the evacuated town on Friday, where they saw the burned remains of the house where the mayor himself grew up. The city has created a preliminary damage map, which it has made public on its website. It shows destroyed buildings in red, and visible damage in yellow.
MAP PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF JASPER
A map showing structures damaged by the wildfire.
Aurélie Terrancle worked at Bear Hill Lodge, a charming three-star hotel that rents out around fifteen small chalets. In an interview with The Pressshe said she was relieved that neither her workplace, located in the north of the city, nor her home were damaged by the flames. “But I have a colleague who lost everything,” she sighed.
Her employer chose to lay off all of its seasonal employees following the fire. “At least we know where we’re going,” says Aurélie Terrancle. “I have colleagues who work for other establishments and who are completely left in the dark.”
She is now waiting for the green light from the City to return to collect her belongings.
30% of structures damaged
Parks Canada estimated that 30% of Jasper’s structures were damaged by the wildfire, and 358 of the town’s 1,113 structures were destroyed.
“I want to extend my sincere condolences to all those who have suffered loss. We are here to support the entire Jasper community,” said Alan Fehr, Parks Canada’s Jasper Field Unit Superintendent, in a statement.
Parks Canada also said the wildfire that ravaged the city is still not under control, and is expected to intensify in the coming days due to warmer weather. It continues to threaten the city’s north end.
PHOTO AMBER BRACKEN, REUTERS ARCHIVES
The wildfire that ravaged Jasper is still not under control.
Visible hot spots in the town of Jasper have been extinguished, however.
Parks Canada also said that about 15 pets, who could not be recovered by their owners before the evacuation, were taken in and housed by the Hinton and District SPCA, while they wait to be reunited with their families.
About 300 kilometres south of Jasper, the village of Slocan, B.C., and surrounding homes have also been evacuated due to wildfires. In total, more than 600 homes were evacuated Sunday morning. The two main fires burning near the village, called Aylwin Creek and Komonko Creek, are nearly 30 kilometres across.2The Aylwin Creek fire also prompted other evacuation orders a few days ago, including for the community of Silverton, located a few kilometres north of Slocan.
The smoke smelled in Montreal on Sunday was not linked to the wildfires in Western Canada, according to air quality data published by Environment Canada. The plume observed above the metropolis is believed to have come from a fire burning in the forests of the northeastern United States.
With information from The Canadian Press and Vincent Larin, The Press