Jasper Facing ‘Significant Loss’ of Buildings, Infrastructure as Wildfire Ravages Town

The mountain town of Jasper, Alta., was the scene of destruction late July 24 as one of two out-of-control wildfires tore through the small community destroying several buildings and placing critical infrastructure at risk. The blaze within Jasper National Park reached the town at approximately 6 p.m., not long after wildland firefighters and first responders were evacuated to the town of Hinton due to dangerous air quality. Structural firefighters remain on scene to “save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure,” Parks Canada said in a 10 p.m. MT update. “As the pictures and videos circulating online show, significant loss has occurred within the townsite,” Parks Canada said in its social media post. “Our focus continues to be on saving as many structures as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t report on the extent of damage to specific locations or neighbourhoods at this time.”...