Emergency officials in Jasper National Park are set to give members of the media a tour of the townsite that was devastated by a wildfire. The tour will provide a closer look at the damage, allowing reporters to view both critical infrastructure that remains intact and the structures destroyed by the flames. A high-resolution map and list of properties have been released by the municipality of Jasper, showing which structures were destroyed by the fire. Single-family homes, apartments, a hostel, a senior’s manor, and a church were among the buildings destroyed. Approximately 30% of the town’s structures were destroyed, totaling 358 out of 1,113 buildings.
The wildfire in Jasper National Park remained out of control as of Saturday evening, with expectations that it could become more active due to warmer weather forecasts. Parks Canada officials anticipate working on combating the wildfire for at least the next three months. The incident commander for the Municipality of Jasper stated that most structures were either completely destroyed or not affected at all. The newly released map showed that nearly an entire block of homes could be leveled to the ground, with only a single house standing in some cases. Many resorts south of Jasper along Highway 93 also saw extensive damage, although they were not captured on the map.
Multiple resorts south of Jasper, such as Alpine Village, Tekarra Lodge, and Becker’s Chalets, suffered losses as the wildfire swept through the area. Alpine Village lost half of its 54 cabins, while Tekarra Lodge lost its front office, main building with the restaurant, and several cabins. Becker’s Chalets lost five buildings in the wildfire. The municipal government is still calculating the impact on the residential population compared to the number of buildings destroyed. Critical infrastructure, including schools, the hospital, and water treatment services, remained intact. However, there were reports that the hospital roof had caught fire, prompting the need for staff to assess the damage.
Premier Danielle Smith cautioned that the information on losses is preliminary and is based on visible damage from the street. The tour for members of the media will provide a more in-depth understanding of the extent of the damage caused by the wildfire in Jasper National Park. Given the all-or-nothing situation where buildings were either untouched or completely destroyed, the aftermath of the wildfire has had a significant impact on the townsite. Emergency officials and Parks Canada are preparing for a lengthy battle against the wildfire in the coming months as they work to contain and extinguish the flames that have caused devastation in the area.
