Residents and businesses of the townsite inside Jasper National Park found out on Saturday for certain whether or not they have a property to return to.
The municipality of Jasper released a high-resolution map and list of properties showing the structures destroyed this past week (go to bottom of this story to see map and list), which includes single-family homes, apartments, townhouses, a hostel, church, senior’s manor, gas station and other businesses.
Parks Canada has estimated that 30 per cent of Jasper’s structures were damaged by the wildfire, with 358 of the town’s 1,113 structures destroyed.
Christine Nadon, the incident commander for the Municipality of Jasper, said it was an all-or-nothing situation — buildings were either razed to the ground or not affected at all.
“Most structures were destroyed and very few were damaged,” she said during an update Saturday afternoon alongside Parks Canada officials.
“Many of you will have your worst fears confirmed today.”
Nadon’s regular job sees her in charge of the fire department.
On Wednesday night as flames bore down on the mountain community, Nadon said she was inside the fire hall listening to scanners, monitoring maps and trying to keep track of her people as the fire consumed home after home — hers included.
“It’s heartbreaking is what it is. Some of those structures we will rebuild. But we’re looking at some historical buildings, people’s homes, personal belongings. I lost my home.”
The map released Saturday showed how nearly an entire block of homes could be levelled to the ground but leave a single house standing in the midst of the rubble.
“I would say our entire community is affected, whether you have a home standing or not. Survivor’s guilt is a thing. Why is my house here and yours isn’t?”
Not pictured on the map are some of the resorts south of Jasper, along Highway 93, where the south fire came from.
Several of those businesses heard from Parks Canada this weekend on the fate of their properties and posted the grim news on their own social media pages.
Alpine Village said it lost half its 54 cabins, while Tekarra Lodge lost several buildings — their front office, the main building with the restaurant, and several cabins — but didn’t have hard numbers. Becker’s Chalets also lost five buildings.
Jasper Brewing Co. said while its building was spared, the one next door was destroyed so they don’t know what kind of smoke or water damage has occurred.
While about a third of the town burned to the ground, Nadon said the human toll is still being calculated.
“The residential population that is affected is much greater than the number of structures damage tends to demonstrate — as in, an apartment building is one structure. A single house is one structure. So we have a handle on the number of structures that are destroyed.
“Most of them are destroyed, not damaged from our initial assessment — we’re looking at foundations.”
Critical infrastructure remained intact, including schools, the hospital, and water treatment services, but Premier Danielle Smith said on Saturday that staff needed to get inside the hospital to check for damage since there were reports its roof had been on fire.
The town cautioned the information on the losses is still preliminary and is based on the damage that is visible from the street.
First responders have not had a chance to enter buildings to assess damage caused by heat, smoke or water.
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“I would say even those who still have homes are deeply affected and grieving our community, but also banding together, residents getting together, helping each other, supporting each other,” Nadon said, explaining she’s already been offered a suite to live in.
“There is a community to go back to and we will support each other, get through this and return to our town when it is safe to do so.”
When that reentry will happen is not yet known.
Premier Danielle Smith said on her radio show Saturday she wants busses to take residents in to see the damage for themselves and the town said a plan is in the works, but details are still being firmed up.
“Access for residents in a structured way where we would likely use buses to get them in and at specific times and in specific areas, and for residents to go have a look at their house or where they lived,” Nadon said.
“That is a plan we’re working on, and we will have available as soon as we can.”
Just like was the case with Fort McMurray in 2016, where residents were not able to return for nearly a month because of the toxic environment left behind, work still needs to be done to make the town safe again.
“At this time, it is not possible for residents to return to Jasper to view their property or collect their belongings. The town site is not safe. We are still very early in our recovery process. The chemicals released by structural fire are a serious risk to health,” Nadon said, adding firefighters are still attacking the wildfire itself, still burning on the perimeter of town.
“Firefighters and first responders need space to do their job safely.
“This remains an evolving emergency situation.”
Because the town is part of Jasper National Park, rebuilding plans are taking shape with help from the federal government, Smith said.
Those who are working to clean up and protect the community are all staying in Hinton, some 50 kilometres east of Jasper.
Fire could take 3 months or more to put out
Parks Canada said the wildfire — revised to 32,000 hectares — is officially the largest to break out in Jasper National Park in 100 years. It will not be extinguished anytime soon.
While cooler, wet weather this weekend helped suppress some fire activity, and about 12 millimetres of rain fell in Jasper, it isn’t enough.
“We’re going to be working on this wildfire, we expect, over the next three months at least,” said Landon Shepherd, the deputy incident commander for Parks Canada.
“What the last five years has taught us is that the fire season in Jasper tends to last well into the fall.”
Marmot Basin spared from the fire’s wrath
It’s a widely accepted train of thought in Alberta that if Banff — with its main drag featuring expansive gift shops along with fast food outlets and large chains like Lululemon and Starbucks — is the more well-known global tourist destination in the Rocky Mountains, then Jasper — with its smaller footprint, quadruple the distance from an international airport and array of local, independent shops and restaurants — is considered the hidden gem locals are more wont to frequent.
Albertans, especially those from Edmonton and northern Alberta, are fiercely protective of Jasper.
The town may be home to just under 5,000 residents, but for many in the province it is considered a home away from home.
They’ve become engaged and gotten married amongst the picturesque mountains, taken their families camping in the summer and on ski trips to Marmot Basin in the winter.
The ski hill said on Saturday it appears to have been spared from the fire’s wrath.
Brian Rode, vice president at Marmot Basin, said trees are blocking the road up the mountain, so their wildfire-trained insurance specialists were airlifted up.
“They were able to get some images of the mountain from the helicopter and I can tell you that the fire has not had any effect on Marmot Basin at all. So our infrastructure appears to be all 100 per cent intact,” Rode said.
“We know that so many people really value and treasure all of Jasper National Park, Jasper townsite, and, of course, Marmot Basin ski area. So we’re really happy, really relieved that the ski area still is unaffected by the fire, which everybody knows is still out of control.”
If Parks Canada allows for it, Marmot Basin intends to be open for the 2024-25 ski season. In the meantime, Rode said staff are being taken care of.
More than 20,000 people in and around the town nestled in the Rocky Mountains four hours west of Edmonton were ordered to evacuate late Monday night due to fast-moving wildfires to the south and east of town.
Forced to flee very suddenly west into B.C., Jasper residents and seasonal staff workers are now spread across two provinces, from Grande Prairie to Valemount, Hinton to Prince George, Edmonton to Calgary and everywhere in between. Canadians have stepped up to help, opening their doors to house evacuees.
“Really feels like a country that’s behind us, and that means a lot. And it’s going to help us, get through this and come out the other side,” Shepherd said.
Nadon said people are banding together to support one another through what will not be a quick recovery: “This is a long battle. We’re not through this.”
This week, Global News asked viewers to send in memories and photos of Jasper — and our inbox was inundated with thousands of messages.
It’s a testament to the place Jasper holds in the hearts of many, Rode said.
“We have so many loyal people from not just the Edmonton area, but throughout Alberta and the rest of Canada.”
PHOTO: High resolution map of the wildfire damage in Jasper. (Please be patient if loading is delayed.)
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