A wildfire burns as an empty street in Jasper, Alta. is shown in this Wednesday, July 24, 2024 handout photo from the Jasper National Park Facebook page. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Facebook, Jasper National Park *MANDATORY CREDIT*

By The Canadian Press

jasper wildfires

Calgary officials send crews to Jasper fire, explain why evacuation centre shuttered

Jul 25, 2024 | 10:14 AM

Calgary emergency officials say they’re sending crews to help the Jasper wildfire while explaining why they briefly shuttered their evacuation centre just as the fire roared into the townsite and started burning structures.

Sue Henry, the head of Calgary’s emergency services, said 19 Calgary crews were headed north to the fire scene.

Calgary is one of two evacuation centres set up to handle those fleeing the fires in Jasper National Park, with the other in Grande Prairie.

Henry said the decision was made Wednesday night to close the evacuation centre at 5 p.m., noting no evacuees had come in the night prior.

She said it was closed for about 20 minutes.

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She said when more evacuees began arriving, staff immediately pivoted and reopened the centre and processed 85 people overnight.

The centre provides services such as finding hotel rooms for those displaced.

“The gap in services was very, very short,” Henry told reporters at a news briefing Thursday morning.

“It’s very, very difficult to predict when people were going to be around.”

Calgary, along with fire crews from Edmonton and Sherwood Park said they were sending resources to the fire scene.

The province has asked for help from the Canadian Armed Forces, and the federal government has said aid is on the way.

The staging area was the town of Hinton, on the eastern outskirts of Jasper National Park.

In Hinton Thursday morning, rain fell and wood smoke hung in the air at the roadblock preventing vehicles from entering the park. Five officials in bright neon yellow vests directed traffic at the roadblock. The only vehicle that was seen going through was a fire truck.

On social media, people shared Thursday-morning video of rain-slicked streets in Jasper and grey-black structures razed to charred foundations.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and other officials were set to update the situation Thursday morning.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, in an open letter to residents, urged them to stay strong.

“I write to you today with profound sorrow as we begin to come to terms with the devastating impact of last night’s wildfire that has ravaged our beloved community,” Ireland wrote.

“The destruction and loss that many of you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension.

“Your resilience and strength have always been the backbone of our community. In the coming days and weeks, we will rally together, support one another, and begin the daunting process of recovery.”

About 25,000 people, including about 5,000 residents in the Jasper townsite, were forced to flee west at a moment’s notice late Monday night as twin wildfires from the south and north roared up and cut off access to the east and south.

A day later they were directed to loop back to Alberta as British Columbia, dealing with its own fires, did not have the capacity to assist.

On Wednesday, efforts to contain the fires — include buckets and fire guards and a last-ditch effort to burn a path from the southern fire to the river and highway — were foiled by raging, gusting winds.

After 6 p.m. Wednesday, the fire roared in and began torching structures.

Jasper, a postcard-perfect mountain town, is famous for hiking, skiing, kayaking and biking. It is also home to dozens of species such as elk, mountain goats, cougars, lynx, black bears and grizzly bears. The United Nations designated the parks that make up the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, a World Heritage Site in 1984.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2024.