Firefighters brace for renewed battle with Jasper wildfire

By Wallis Snowdon, CBC News, RCI

In the week since Jasper National Park’s residents and visitors were ordered to flee as wildfires approached, hours of video footage have emerged chronicling the evacuation, the firefight and the first glimpses of the ravaged town, where about 30 per cent of the structures were destroyed. This compilation brings together videos gathered by our crews or verified by our journalists. Photo: Radio-Canada / Josh McLean/CBC

Flames spread Tuesday amid high temperatures, gusting winds

As rising temperatures fan the blaze that devastated Jasper, crews battling the flames plan to fight fire with fire.

Firefighters deployed by Parks Canada are hoping to contain the flames by robbing the fire of fuel.

Ignition specialists are assessing options to burn unburned and partially burned trees near the fire perimeter.

The controlled burns will take place along the edge of the flames. Dozer guards have been dug out in an attempt to break the path of the fire, Parks Canada said in a statement Wednesday.

The operations will help remove fuel from the fire and prevent the fire from breaching control lines — perimeters cut through the forest designed to contain the flames.

The work will only be carried out in carefully chosen conditions, parks officials said.

Firefighters are bracing for another battle with the wildfire that ripped through Jasper last week, destroying hundreds of structures.

Work continues to protect critical infrastructure and reduce the remaining risk to the community.

All remaining spot fires that had continued to smoulder in the townsite are now out but the fire continues to burn out of control across a vast stretch of forest to the northeast, east, and southeast of the community.

The fire, likely sparked by lightning, is one in a cluster of three fires being fought as one. In all, they have burned more than 36,000 hectares.

Officials with Parks Canada say increasingly hot and dry weather has begun to fan the flames.

Tuesday was hotter and drier than anticipated, resulting in increased fire activity, officials said.

As the temperatures rose to 26 C and the winds gusted to 30 km/h, the fire grew, expanding its reach along the Icefields Parkway.

Wednesday’s forecast is expected to bring the same heat and gusting winds and there may be increased smoke in the area, officials cautioned. Winds are expected to gust up to 50 km/h this afternoon with a high of 25 C.

Crews will focus on priority areas including Pyramid Bench, south of Pyramid Lake, areas near Marmot Basin, and the perimeter of the fire closest to the north end of town, Parks Canada said.

WATCH | Townsite tour reveals devastation caused by Jasper wildfire:

About one-third of the structures in the townsite — an estimated 358 out of 1,113 — were destroyed when the flames moved in from the south last Wednesday, overwhelming crews.

Evacuation orders had come two days before. An estimated 25,000 people fled the park with hours notice as the flames encroached on highways, showering ash and embers.

The town’s 5,000 residents remain displaced. Re-entry plans have been approved but will not be enacted until the fire is no longer deemed a threat.

Hazards posed by the wreckage must also be secured, and critical services restored, before the park gates will open to residents.

Debris removal is underway and crews are installing safety fencing around the debris of burned-out buildings, restoring power and felling trees left scorched and lifting dangerously by the flames.

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As the wildfire continues to actively burn and smoulder along Highway 16, the critical route through the park, remains closed. Plans are in the works to allow drivers to travel across the highway, but not enter town.

The stretch of Highway 16 through Jasper has been blocked from just west of Hinton to the B.C. border since July 22.

Our first priority is the safety and security of response staff, residents, and infrastructure before visitors will be allowed to return, Parks Canada said Tuesday.

All available resources are currently dedicated to responding to this incident and we thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta will push the federal government and the Town of Jasper to fast-track the rebuild of the picturesque Rocky Mountain townsite.

Smith says her government is striking a committee of senior civil servants to work with Parks Canada and Jasper leaders to swap ideas, expedite development permits and collaborate on ways to restore Jasper as quickly as possible.

Sometimes these permit approvals can be complicated. They can be lengthy, Smith told reporters in Calgary on Tuesday.

“But we also see what happens on the other end, that a few years in, you can actually make great progress.

We don’t want to be three or four years in and still waiting for development and permit approvals.

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