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The Alberta government opened registration Friday for Jasper residents who want to see what’s left of their destroyed or damaged homes.
Mike Ellis, Alberta’s minister of public safety and emergency services, said people will be given more information once they register. He said the tours are limited to people whose homes have been damaged and destroyed. Tour residents will not be allowed to get off the bus.
There is no date yet for when these tours will begin. Ellis said that will be determined by the incident commander.
“At the moment, the tours have to take place under very controlled conditions and with a limited number of participants,” he said.
He said the wildfire is still active, plus the properties are full of hazardous materials and debris. Ellis said organizers want to make sure residents have immediate access to mental health services.
“We understand that some people may be frustrated as they wait for more details, but please know that this is a priority for us and we are doing everything we can to get everything done as quickly and safely as possible,” Ellis said.
Warm and dry weather returns
The Jasper Wildfire Complex expanded by 7,500 hectares on Thursday as temperatures in the area began to rise.
The fire is now estimated at 39,000 hectares in size. Temperatures in Jasper are expected to reach a high of 34 C on Friday.
In a Facebook post Thursday night, Parks Canada said the fire was spreading mainly on the southern edge. The agency said the fire is expected to grow on Friday due to continued warm and dry conditions.
The fire is still considered out of control.
James Eastham, incident information officer with Parks Canada, said Thursday was the first warm and dry day in a long time. He said vegetation lost the moisture it had received earlier in the week due to rain.
“It’s going to be hotter and drier than yesterday,” Eastham said of Friday’s forecast. “We do expect some increased fire activity in areas, particularly … where we’re not actively suppressing the fire.”
Alberta Wildfire used its night vision helicopter to fight the fire at night. Eastham said it helps them keep an eye on the fire at night.
Eastham said firefighters are focusing on the fires at Pyramid Bench, north of the city site, and at the sewage treatment plant.
“There are still trees that are smoldering in and around the community,” he said. “That’s where we’re focusing our efforts because we don’t want those remaining smoldering fires to have a chance to flare up in these hot, dry conditions that we have.”
perimeter fence
The heat followed nearly a week of cooler weather, allowing firefighters to extinguish fires in the city of Jasper and install fire barriers and sprinklers.
The fire forced the evacuation of 25,000 visitors and residents from the national park on July 22.
The flames reached the site of the town two days later, destroying about 30 percent of the structures on the west side. The fire initially started as two, one approaching Jasper from the east, the other from the south. The fires eventually merged into one.
The municipality of Jasper reports that supervisors are now visiting hotels, campsites and approved accommodations such as bed and breakfasts to collect important documents and medications.
While officials work on a plan, they say it is still not safe for residents to enter the park to tour their homes, or for campers to retrieve their recreational vehicles.
Work crews are expected to finish installing fencing around the fire-damaged buildings on Sunday.
The Canadian Red Cross sets up a shelter for evacuees in Hinton, a town east of Jasper National Park. The center serves as the fire department’s headquarters.
Transport trucks are still allowed to travel through the park on Highway 16 during prescribed hours. The road remains closed at night and during certain hours during the day to maintain access for vehicles dedicated to firefighting and recovery efforts.
Recent wildfires in Alberta have raised many questions about insurance. They include what the implications are, not only for customers but also for the industry itself. The Jasper fire alone is estimated to cost around $700 million so far.
Seniors who went to Valemount, British Columbia after being evicted from Jasper last week returned to Alberta on Friday.
Ten residents of the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge and 15 residents of Pine Grove Manor were taken by bus escorted by the RCMP down Highway 16 through Jasper National Park and back to Alberta. Both facilities are operated by the Evergreen Foundation.
Kristen Chambers, CEO of the organization, said Pine Grove Manor was destroyed when the fire swept through Jasper last week. Seniors who lived there have been placed in hotels in Hinton. Seniors from Alpine Summit have been placed in other Evergreen Foundation properties in nearby communities.
Chambers said the seniors want to stay together wherever they move.
“They’ve lost everything now,” she said. “And what they have is their friendship and that sense of community and they’re very eager to rebuild and be as a group.”
Chambers said she plans to meet with county officials next week. She said Evergreen Foundation wants to rebuild in Jasper.
Alberta Parks has closed a number of parks and provincial recreation areas in other parts of the province due to the wildfire: Ram Falls Provincial Park, Peppers Lake Provincial Recreation Area, Peppers Lake Staging Area PRA, Alymer PRA, Elk Creek PRA Campground, Elk Creek Fish Pond PRA, and Crescent Falls PRA.
