Fire not out yet in Town of Jasper

As of late afternoon Thursday, Parks Canada stated in a social media update that fire crews are still fighting fires within the Town of Jasper and continue to deal with fire jumping from one building to another.

Parks Canada understands that people are anxious to hear more information about the extent of the impacts to the town, but first conditions need to be safe enough for a detailed assessment to be done. Incident Command confirms that all critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected including the hospital, emergency services building, the schools, the activity centre and the wastewater treatment plant.

However, some homes and businesses have been lost. The most significant damage is on the west side of town, southwest of Miette Avenue. The fire also damaged a number of bridges around the town and throughout Jasper National Park, including the Moberly Bridge and the Old Fort Point Bridge.

With the rain and cooler temperatures, the post from Jasper National Park/Parks Canada says fire activity is significantly subdued. “However, it is important to note that the fire is still out of control and significant work remains before conditions are safe enough to allow for limited re-entry into the park.”