As a raging wildfire devastates the Alberta town of Jasper, there are growing concerns about the immediate toll on the community and the “logistical nightmare” of recovery that lies ahead.
While the extent of the structural damage remains unclear, multiple buildings have been impacted, according to Parks Canada.
The most significant structural damage is concentrated on the west side of town, southwest of Miette Avenue — but firefighting efforts prevented significant damage to much of the infrastructure in the east end of town such as the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.
The fire damaged several bridges around the town and throughout the national park, along with homes and hotels.
It’s a familiar sight for Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, who said he understands how challenging it can be for a community to leave their homes with little notice.
“When you hear something like this, regardless of your experience, you start to think about the human toll,” Savage said in an interview with Global News on Thursday.
“Obviously the built infrastructure to lose is amazingly awful, but the impact that it has on humans is even more dramatic.”
Last May, a historic wildfire that broke out in the Halifax-area community of Upper Tantallon upended the lives of thousands of people.
That fire burned 969 hectares, destroyed 151 homes and forced more than 16,000 residents to flee the area.
More than one year later, people in Halifax and other parts of Nova Scotia who were impacted by the blazes are still recovering and rebuilding.
“We went through that here in Halifax last year, and I know the toll that it takes,” Savage said.
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“It’s a really tough circumstance and our hearts go out to the people in the (Jasper) community.”
How long could Jasper recovery take?
Flames have entered the Jasper townsite and set at least two hotels on fire. While the town is home to 4,700 people, Jasper National Park draws thousands of visitors each year as it is one of Alberta’s top tourist destinations.
Warren Singh, executive director of the Alberta Construction Association, said it is too soon to fully understand the extent of the damage and just assessing those could take up to six months.
Pointing to the example of Alberta’s Fort McMurray, which was swept by a ferocious 2016 wildfire, Singh said recovery for Jasper could also take five years or longer, depending on the damages.
In the aftermath of a wildfire, Singh said rebuilding communities like Jasper could be a “logistical nightmare,” involving sorting out what is needed in terms of cleanup, critical infrastructure damage and reckoning with the effects of blazes on the local environment.
Speaking from his own experience in Halifax, Savage said there is no set timeline for recovery from a wildfire as there are several challenges along the way and that rebuilding work only begins after the immediate danger is over.
Things like finding emergency housing, feeding people and rescuing pets come before and that’s where communities from across the country have to step in and come together to help, he said.
“I think the key is to come together and recognize that whether your house is there or gone, you’re part of the solution and you work with your neighbours and make things better.”
Northern Alberta town Slave Lake is among those offering assistance, with its fire chief and a crew en route to support, Mayor Francesca Ward told Global News.
For the people of Jasper, she said: “We understand what you are going through, and our entire town’s hearts are breaking with you.”
Slave Lake was in a similar situation in 2011, when a wildfire burned about one-third of the town.
“Patience is what is needed, and time to process,” Ward said.
“To this day, when I smell smoke from wildfires and hear reports of fires in the vicinity, it causes that little hint of anxiety and memories to flood back of the wildfires. “
She said the community’s most immediate need will be financial resources and having access to immediate funding will aid in the recovery efforts in the weeks ahead.
What are the challenges of rebuilding?
Because Jasper, which is located in the Rocky Mountains, is a mountainous region, that presents its own unique set of challenges for rebuilding, such as access for services and having to cut through rock beds, Singh said.
In terms of environmental issues, wildfires also cause complex problems, such as vegetation loss, soil erosion, a decrease in water quality and a rise in the potential for flash flooding, he added.
Ward said the most significant challenge, other than locating builders and resources in more remote communities, would be communication.
“Evacuation, interim housing and rebuilding all require substantial moving parts, and communicating this to the relevant stakeholders is a huge hurdle.”
In British Columbia, rebuilding efforts for fire-devastated Lytton have been slow.
Cement for Lytton’s first home rebuild was finally poured in December 2023 – more than two years after a massive wildfire devastated the B.C. village.
Singh said building permit processes can take time, while residents will be eager to move back quickly.
Supply chain issues and safety concerns may also arise in the rebuild process, he said.
From figuring out insurance to building to current standards to getting the workforce, there is a lot required to rebuild following a natural disaster, while also making sure the infrastructure can withstand future calamities, Savage said.
“The simple fact is, we can’t just build back to the way it was with the changing climate,” he said.
And no matter how long it takes Jasper to rebuild, “it’s never really quite the same.”
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