It took less than two days for fast-moving wildfires to reach the Alberta Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, where multiple structures were burned Wednesday night.
Parks Canada first reported two wildfires burning within Jasper National Park — one north of the townsite, the other south — late Monday night. Before the night was over, the entire town and park was ordered to evacuate as crews struggled to combat the flames being whipped by high winds and dry conditions.
About 25,000 people were evacuated from the park, including roughly 5,000 residents of the resort town.
By Wednesday evening, both wildfires had encroached on the townsite and merged into one fire.
Here’s a timeline of how the situation unfolded. All times are in local MST.
July 22
7 p.m.: The first wildfire burning to the northeast of the town of Jasper is reported to Parks Canada. A second fire to the south is reported shortly after.
8:35 p.m.: The Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park issue a “preventative” evacuation alert, warning of “multiple wildfires” burning in the park.
10 p.m.: A wildfire alert and evacuation order are issued for Jasper National Park, including the townsite, for the wildfire south of town. An updated alert incorrectly states the fire is expected to reach the town in five hours, but is corrected nearly an hour later to say the area should be evacuated within that time.
Evacuees are forced to travel west into British Columbia, then turn around and head to reception centres set up in Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. Parks Canada later says “thousands” of people evacuated overnight, facing “wall-to-wall” traffic on Highway 16.
July 23
10 a.m.: Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis says during a provincial wildfire update that the fire burning south of Jasper is about 12 km from the town on both sides of the Athabasca River. He warned wind “may exacerbate the situation.”
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4:30 p.m.: Parks Canada says evacuation of the Municipality of Jasper is complete, “and the evacuation of hikers in the backcountry is ongoing.” Campsites within the park boundary are also being cleared.
6 p.m.: Fire officials with Parks Canada say the “north wildfire” is estimated to be at least 270 hectares in size, burning between the Jasper transfer station and the Jasper air strip, on both sides of Highway 16.
The “south wildfire” is estimated to be 6,750 hectares in size and is burning further away from the town, down the Icefields Parkway.
Parks Canada incident commander Katie Ellsworth says during a media briefing that heavy smoke is making it difficult to properly assess the size of the fires. She says crews are using aerial suppression efforts, including water bucketing from helicopters, as well as ground water lines and other measures to try and control the flames.
July 24
11:10 a.m.: Ellsworth with Parks Canada says the size of the southern fire is now estimated to have grown 60 per cent overnight to 10,800 hectares, and is about eight km from the town of Jasper. The north wildfire is five km from the town and remains at roughly 270 hectares in size.
She says the “aggressive fire behaviour” seen throughout Tuesday continued overnight, with consistently high and gusty winds that are expected to last through Wednesday and further grow both fires. Crews are installing high-pressure sprinkler lines in key areas and continuing suppression efforts.
Ellsworth notes crews are already preparing for the possibility of fire reaching the town. Some structures outside the town have already been impacted.
1 p.m.: Parks Canada says evacuations in the backcountry are ongoing but have been completed in “high priority areas.” The frontcountry areas of Jasper National Park have also been fully evacuated.
4:20 p.m.: Ellis, the provincial public safety and emergencies minister, says Alberta has asked the federal government for assistance, including resources from the Canadian Armed Forces.
5:30 p.m.: First responders working in Jasper National Park will be relocated to the nearby town of Hinton, Alta., about 50 km away, due to “significant fire activity and forecasted strong winds,” Parks Canada says. Firefighting personnel, aircraft and a reduced incident command staff remain in Jasper to try and protect the town.
6 p.m.: Portions of the south wildfire reach the outskirts of the town of Jasper. Parks Canada says suppression efforts by helicopter bucketing “proved ineffective,” and water bombers could not assist due to dangerous flying conditions. Conditions also prevented other fire control efforts.
6:40 p.m.: Parks Canada says “wildfire reached the Jasper townsite.”
7:20 p.m.: Global News receives a picture of what’s later confirmed to be the Maligne Lodge, a hotel at the southwest end of town operated since 1961, completely engulfed in flames. The family operators of the hotel later confirm it was destroyed.
8:30 p.m.: Parks Canada says wildland firefighters and others without self-contained breathing apparatuses are being evacuated to Hinton due to deteriorating air quality. Structural firefighters remain in town to try and protect critical infrastructure and save as many structures as possible.
9:30 p.m. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts confirms to Global News that the fire reached the grounds of the historic Jasper Park Lodge, one of the most-well known and storied resorts in the area.
10 p.m.: In its final update of the night, Parks Canada says “significant loss has occurred within the townsite.” Fire information officer James Eastham tells Global News crews witnessed “300- to 400-foot flames” that swept into town at a rate of 15 metres per minute.
10:30 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has approved Alberta’s request for federal assistance, and will deploy military resources and other emergency supports “immediately.”
“Alberta, we’re with you,” Trudeau says on social media.
July 25
10:30 a.m.: Parks Canada says despite a small amount of rain overnight, the Jasper wildfire remains out of control. Officials add that “significant structural firefighting reinforcements arrived throughout the night and have continued to assist with firefighting efforts.”
Conditions on the ground are making it impossible for crews to provide details about the status of specific buildings and sites, Parks Canada adds, as the focus remains on the “response effort.”
Images shared with Global News show a wide swath of blackened, charred homes and buildings razed to their foundations.
12 p.m.: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tells reporters at an emotional news conference that initial estimates are between 30 to 50 per cent of structures within the Jasper townsite were destroyed overnight. She said the town faces a “significant rebuild.”
Ellis said he heard from crews that an “enormous wind gust” blew “a wall of fire that was about 100 metres high” into town within 30 minutes.
1 p.m.: Parks Canada officials tell a separate media briefing that crews continue to battle the wildfire. Pierre Martel, director of Parks Canada’s national fire management program, says “a number of businesses and homes in and around the town of Jasper have been lost.”
— with files from Global’s Phil Heidenreich and Karen Bartko, and the Canadian Press
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