Firefighters from Around the World Headed to Canada to Battle Wildfires
Hundreds of firefighters fought an intense blaze on Friday in Jasper, Alberta, as wildfires turned the picturesque town into a hell-scape of flame-licked treetops and buildings burned to ash.
Two fast moving blazes attacked the town from the north and south, forcing 25,000 people to evacuate earlier in the week, and merged into one massive conflagration.
The extent of the devastation remains unknown, but officials said on Thursday that firefighters were rushing to save what they could of the historic town that lies within Jasper National Park in Alberta. As much as half of the town, one official said, may have been destroyed.
Parks Canada, the country’s national parks agency, estimated on Thursday night that nearly 140 square miles of the park had been destroyed by the fire.
At a news conference on Thursday, Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, fought back tears when describing the scenic beauty of the town and park. “We don’t know particularly which structures have been damaged and which ones have been destroyed, but that is going to be a significant rebuild,” she said.
Jasper National Park, which is popular with hikers attracted by its pristine natural beauty and expansive trails, is home to over 50 species of mammals, including elk and grizzly bears. An evacuation order is currently in place for the park and its website said new visitors would be banned from entering until at least Aug. 6.
Cooler temperatures and some rain provided momentary relief on Thursday, Parks Canada said in a statement on X. Those factors, the organization said, “will likely keep fire behavior low for the next 72 hours.”
Over 400 firefighters from as far away as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand were headed to help battle the fires, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement on Thursday.
Though wildfires in Canada have been less extensive this year than last, there are still scores of wildfires burning, primarily in the western part of the country.
Pierre Martel, the director of the national fire management program at Parks Canada, said lightning strikes late on Monday, combined with drought conditions and strong winds, contributed to starting a fire that he described as “a monster,” during a news briefing on Thursday.
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