Fueled by strong winds, a wildfire destroyed parts of Jasper, a popular tourist town in Alberta, Canada.
According to the NY Post, the wildfire has torn through Jasper National Park and forced the evacuation of 25,000 people. The wildfire started as a result of a lightning storm. All in all, 170 individual fires burned on Wednesday. Sadly, strong winds pushed fires from 5km outside of Jasper, straight into town in under 30 minutes. The speed with which the wildfire was traveling forced the retreat of fire crews who had hoped to defend the Jasper.
On the official X page of Jasper National Park, they noted that the event was "exceptionally difficult," as the fires destroyed all that laid in its path. The park continued on to confirm "significant loss within the townsite" of Jasper. Moreover, the page reiterated that current efforts focus on saving as many of "the structures" as possible. In a video shared to X, the damage of the town was shown clearly.
Wildfire Rips Through a Favorite Tourist Spot in Canada
Luckily, as of the writing of this article, Jasper National Park had confirmed that all critical infrastructure had been saved in Jasper. Such buildings included the hospital, emergency services building, wastewater treatment plant, activity center, and both elementary and junior/senior schools. On the contrary, some homes and businesses were confirmed to have been lost in the wildfire.
Moreover, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was saddened to share that approximately 30 to 50 percent of the buildings in Jasper have potentially been destroyed. In a tear-filled press conference, Smith confirmed that Jasper will require a "significant rebuild."Jasper's mayor Richard Ireland piggybacked off this sentiment. Ireland stated that the damage was "incomprehensible."
As Jasper looks to what is next, one group's efforts in the firefight must be lauded. The first responders who have pushed back against the wildfire have done as much as they could for Jasper. Interestingly, a group of roughly 400 firefighters have made their way to assist from around the globe. Notably, around a quarter of the group are from Australia and New Zealand.
