The Maligne Lodge hotel burns in Jasper, Alberta, on July 24, 2024, after one of two wildfires threatening the historic town.Submitted/Courtesy of family
1 of 12
Wildfires closed in on the picturesque mountain town of Jasper, burning buildings and forcing firefighters to retreat from the flames and expected strong winds that had made the situation too dangerous for them to stay.
Late Wednesday night, Parks Canada said in an update it had been an “exceptionally difficult day” for emergency responders and the people who have connections to Jasper. The agency confirmed “significant loss” had occurred within the townsite.
“We are sensitive that residents, business owners, visitors and those with connections to Jasper want to know the state of their homes, businesses, treasures and favourite places,” the agency said in the update.
“Unfortunately, we can’t report on the extent of damage to specific locations or neighbourhoods at this time.”
Jasper National Park evacuations complete after massive effort to help thousands flee wildfire
In the early evening, all but the most critical firefighting personnel were ordered to abandon the town. Incident commanders said first responders in Jasper were relocating to Hinton, about 80 kilometres northeast, due to the danger.
The move meant firefighters were unable to finish work using heavy equipment to build fireguards. Helicopter bucketing proved ineffective and water bombers were unable to help because of dangerous flying conditions, Parks Canada said on social media.
Some structural firefighters remained in town, working to save as many structures as possible, including infrastructure such as the wastewater treatment plant and the Trans Mountain Pipeline, the agency said.
Fire reached grounds of Fairmont-owned Jasper Park Lodge
Anastasia Martin-Stilwell, a spokesperson for the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, confirmed late Wednesday the wildfire had reached the historic resort’s grounds. She said the extent of the damage is currently unclear and that parts of the lodge remain untouched.
“We are devastated by the situation,” said Ms. Martin-Stilwell in a statement, adding all guests have been safely evacuated. “The dedication of our first responders and those coming to our aid cannot fully be expressed. We are all sending wishes of safety and strength.”
In Valemount, B.C., where more than a hundred Jasper residents had fled upon being ordered to evacuate earlier this week, some residents gathered at the Three Ranges Brewery. Many were in tears at news firefighters had to abandon their community.
“The Petro Canada just blew up,” someone shouted.
“The Maligne Lodge is gone,” someone else said.
Evacuated Jasper residents (from left to right) Cat Crowley-Wied, Emily Bank, Jeff Morris and Destiny Stone embrace outside the Three Ranges Brewery in Valemount, B.C. after learning that a wildfire had burned Mr. Morris' home on July 24, 2024.Nancy Macdonald/The Globe and Mail
A photo of Jasper’s Wicked Cup Café engulfed in flames circulated among the group. Several friends grabbed each other in a hug.
“There’s not going to be a lot left,” Jeff Morris said through tears. He had just learned that his home is gone.
Jasper resident Hannah Basso broke down in tears after learning that the lodge abutting her apartment was in flames.
“I don’t even have shoes. We left with the clothes on our backs,” she said. “The last thing we took was our marriage certificate. Unfortunately, I forgot my permanent resident documents. That’s going to be quite a problem.”
Ms. Basso and her husband are camping at a friend’s house in Valemount. Before coming to Canada, she had worked as a lawyer in Australia.
“We’re used to fires back home. But this one moved faster than any fire I’ve ever seen.”
‘Our whole life — it’s gone’: Jasper wildfire evacuees find refuge in B.C. town amid shock and grief
Blazes in national parks are under federal jurisdiction, but Alberta, facing a burst of fires in part because of the extended heat wave, asked the federal government on Wednesday to send in the military.
In a video posted to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday evening, Premier Danielle Smith called what was happening in Jasper a tragedy and urged anyone who was still there to leave if possible.
“To the emergency responders and firefighters, we wish you all the luck in fighting this fire and keeping safe as well,” she said.
“We’re going to do whatever we can to put this fire out.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on social media, said the federal government approved the province’s request for help from the military.
“We’re deploying Canadian Forces resources, evacuations support, and more emergency wildfire resources to the province immediately — and we’re coordinating firefighting and airlift assistance,” he said in a message on X.
“Alberta, we’re with you.”
The fires moved quickly since sparking on Monday and by Wednesday morning, the town was surrounded by flames. One fire, burning about five kilometres north of Jasper, had consumed about 270 hectares by Wednesday afternoon. The fire on the southern edge of town had mowed down about 10,800 hectares. There are also smaller fires burning nearby.
Fire personnel have been unable to assess the extent of damage because of dangerous conditions, Katie Ellsworth, a fire management officer with Parks Canada said Wednesday morning.
British Columbia’s Emergency Management Minister, Bowinn Ma said in a briefing Wednesday that her office was warned that some 10,000 people fleeing Jasper on Monday would have no choice but to head west to Valemount. With strapped resources in British Columbia due to the province’s own dire forest fire conditions, evacuees were encouraged to take hours-long, circuitous routes back to reception centres in Grande Prairie, Calgary and Edmonton.
But some were staying in Valemount, where the town threw open their doors to evacuees.
Nicole Dryden took in eight Ukrainians who had been working in Jasper and arrived in Valemount in the middle of the night Monday. She and her husband learned about the evacuation through a local Facebook group.
The Ukrainians are in shock, she says: “They keep saying: Two months ago, we evacuated our country. Where do we go now?”
“They’ve never been outside Jasper until now,” said Ms. Dryden.
She said other evacuees set up camp on the grounds of the local golf course, sleeping at the local church, the legion and the community hall.
“Word went out around midnight on a local Facebook page asking if anyone had space.”
Among the 108 evacuees who looped back from British Columbia to the reception centre in Calgary were Justyna Van Poucke-Choquette, Nikola Hausen and Faith Warwaruk. They drove through smoke and fire in British Columbia and Alberta for two days before arriving in the city. The trio live and work in Jasper.
“It’s horrifying to think of it all burning down, being swallowed by something so destructive,” Ms. Hausen said Wednesday outside the reception centre.
The stress of fleeing has since been replaced by the anxiety of what this means for their jobs. Even if they are allowed to return to Jasper, it could be much longer until visitors are allowed back.
Ms. Warwaruk said the evacuation centre has been helpful, providing evacuees with hotel vouchers, food and water. But she’s worried for when the support runs dry.
“I have money for right now, for the next couple of days, but I don’t have thousands of dollars,” she said.
After initially closing due to low overnight traffic on Tuesday, the Calgary reception centre reopened late Wednesday night because of the worsening situation.
A reception centre is readied for wildfire evacuees forced from Jasper National Park in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, July 23, 2024.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Parks Canada said it had swept all high-priority trails and campgrounds in Jasper National Park, with 245 people being flown by helicopter to safety or contacted.
When the evacuation order came down Monday evening, Jim Campbell and Shawn Cornett were asleep in their tent at the Evelyn Creek campsite in Jasper’s backcountry. It was the first day of a planned four-day adventure on the Skyline Trail, Jasper National Park’s most popular backcountry hiking route.
News of the evacuation order reached some in the backcountry through inReach, a communications device that relies on satellite connectivity. Word spread as campers and Shovel Pass Backcountry Lodge employees hiked out of the area, alerting others – including Mr. Campbell and Ms. Cornett – on their way.
The pair packed up their tent and joined the parade of people headed to safety. Mr. Campbell said about 20 others were hiking out.
“It was kind of fun,” Mr. Campbell said, noting he believed the fire was on the other side of a ridge, so they felt relatively safe on their five-kilometre exit route.
“We made lots of noise in the early dawn to make sure we didn’t have a compounded problem running into a bear.”
Parks Canada officials met them at the Maligne Lake trailhead, around 6 a.m.
“We were the last ones out,” Mr. Campbell said. “Because we were the last ones to know.”
Alberta estimates 17,500 residents are under evacuation order across the province. There were 177 wildfires burning Wednesday afternoon, 55 of which were considered out-of-control and expected to grow.
In B.C., 550 people have been ordered to leave their home, with another 5,000 on alert.
Ms. Ma said there have been tens of thousands of lightning strikes, and that the hot, dry weather and winds over the past week have led to significant fire growth. There were 434 fires burning in the province in the afternoon.
Have a story to share about Jasper?
Deadly wildfires are threatening this beloved UNESCO World Heritage site, where so many Canadians and tourists have visited over the years.
The Globe is looking for the stories people want to share about their memorable Jasper experiences. Was it the site of a family trip with multi-generations? The place you got engaged? The town you discovered your aptitude for hiking? Share your story in the box below, and you can also send photos from your trips to audience@globeandmail.com.
With a file from Xiao Xu.