Terrible news tonight from Jasper National Park - multiple buildings in the town of Jasper are burning..
We always loved visiting Jasper -- it was almost as scenic as Banff, but without the crowding and the touristy kitsch (or at least, not as much).
It was a easier drive too, from Saskatoon, especially after most of it was twinned.
Whenever we drove to Vancouver, we usually took the easier Edmonton route, with its long and lazy valleys instead of twisting through the Calgary to Kamloops route.
I cannot imagine how frightening and terrible it would be to get told to evacuate at 10 pm, then drive all night to get to safety.
Such outstanding courage those people are showing us all.
“Today has been an exceptionally difficult day for Jasperites, incident personnel and everyone who loves Jasper,” said the agency.
Crews working to save homes, businesses and critical infrastructure will be supported by “many more” structural firefighters en route to the community.
...Jasper is under attack by fires from the north and south, and the town’s 5,000 residents -- along with 20,000 park visitors -- have already left.
The northern fire was spotted five kilometres from Jasper earlier Wednesday.
The southern fire had been reported eight kilometres distant from the town, but Katie Ellsworth, with Parks Canada, said strong wind gusts swooping in behind it sent it racing.
Everything that could go wrong earlier Wednesday did go wrong.
Fire perimeters changed minute by minute.
Ellsworth said bucketing efforts by helicopter failed.
Crews using heavy equipment to build fireguards couldn’t complete the work before having to pull back for safety.
Water bombers couldn’t help due to dangerous flying conditions.
A last-ditch effort to use controlled burns to reroute the fire to natural barriers like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River failed due to “unfavourable conditions.”
The hope was that up to 20 mm of rain, forecast to begin falling in the area later Wednesday night, would bring some relief.
Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen has asked the Canadian Armed Forces for help.
"We are requesting firefighting resources, aerial support to move wildfire crews and equipment and more," Loewen wrote on the social media platform X.
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