A wildfire evacuation order remains in effect for Jasper National Park as crews continue to work on hot spots and to better fortify the townsite against the risk from fires burning in the area after a blaze entered the community last week.
In an update posted to the Parks Canada website late Monday night, officials provided an update on how that work is progressing, announcing that a 12-inch, high-volume sprinkler system has been set up along the community fireguard “as the primary defence mechanism for the community.”
“Our top priority is to protect the community of Jasper from the remaining risk posed by the fire,” officials said. “This includes the construction of a fireguard between Pyramid Lake and Highway 16.
“Structural protection continues in at-risk areas around town and the park.”
Park officials noted that Monday saw cooler temperatures and some light rain in the area, which resulted in another day of “reduced fire activity.”
“As temperatures rise and relative humidity drops over the coming days, we do anticipate some growth and increased fire behaviour beginning later this week,” they said.
Officials added that in the Jasper townsite, crews continue to work to restore critical services and perimeter fencing is now being erected around structures damaged by the fire. A timeline for re-entry has yet to be determined for residents as officials say the risks posed by both area wildfires and the damage already done to the community are currently too high.
Parks Canada released new photos on Monday of the Athabasca Falls area, one of the more popular spots for visiting tourists in the national park located in western Alberta.
“While some areas experienced more fire activity than others, the viewpoint and its infrastructure appear to have been relatively spared,” officials noted of the area.
Alberta wildfire situation as of Monday afternoon
Get daily Edmonton news
The Alberta government provided an update on the overall wildfire situation in the province at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
Officials warned the warm and dry weather is expected to return to much of Alberta this week so the expectation is for increased wildfire activity.
There are 123 wildfires currently burning across Alberta’s forest protection areas and 24 are deemed to be out of control.
More than half of the fires that have started this fire season were sparked by lightning, according to government officials, who noted that all other fires were caused by humans.
Nearly 1,900 Alberta firefighters and support staff are currently working in the province and personnel from other jurisdictions have ben brought in to help as well. Most recently, 200 firefighters from South Africa arrived in Alberta on Monday to offer their assistance.
More firefighters are expected to arrive from New Zealand on Tuesday.
For the latest information on which areas in Alberta are under an evacuation alert or order due to a wildfire, visit the Alberta Emergency Alert website.
For the latest information on the wildfire status and danger across the province, visit the Alberta Wildfire website.
The latest information on fire advisories, restrictions and bans across the province can be found on the Alberta fire bans website.
For the latest on road closures in Alberta, you can visit the 511 Alberta website.