Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said incident command and management staff are expected to open Hwy. 16 to commercial traffic in the next 24 hours after being closed due to the Jasper wildfire. Ellis pointed out Hwy. 16 “is an important economic corridor, and it’s a priority for us to get large trucks and tractor trailers passing through the park again.” “The final details and timelines will be at the discretion of Parks Canada and the municipality, but we are offering contingency planning support to help things forward,” said Ellis at a Wednesday press conference. “In the townsite, ATCO Electric has started to turn power back on, including the wastewater treatment plant.” However, Ellis said ATCO Gas is conducting its damage assessment, with gas services remaining unavailable. He added the Municipality of Jasper has commenced debris removal from identified commercial sites. The Municipality of Jasper has committed to working with Jasper residents on any cleanup or debris removal on their properties. While specialized crews will likely conduct the cleanup, it said residents will have direct influence on this work. He said many people were forced to leave their campers and trailers in Jasper National Park. In response, he said a plan will be implemented in the next 24 to 48 hours for these people. Teams continue to plan for taking evacuees from Valemount, BC, through Jasper National Park to Hinton, AB. He said reuniting them with their families and friends is a priority. Since the wildfire evacuees have gone through an exhausting, stressful time over the past week, he said no one should be put at further risk. He added the wildfire remains active and could become worse because of the weather conditions in the coming days. This means planning has to be careful and deliberate. The Alberta government will continue to support the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada as it continues with this work. Ellis concluded by praising the first responders who are on the frontlines in Jasper and across Alberta. He said the work they are doing is vital and important. Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said next week will see higher temperatures return, bringing heightened wildfire danger and activity.“With that in mind, we are working hard to make progress on several wildfires threatening communities while the weather is on our side,” said Loewen. “Alberta’s government continues to assist on the Jasper Wildfire Complex (JWC).” Loewen said its crews, helicopters, and heavy equipment are assisting now with the JWC and has air tankers it can send if necessary. Parks Canada has reported 750 personnel across multiple federal, provincial, and municipal agencies are responding to it. Alberta Wildfire Information Unit Manager Christie Tucker went on to say there are 114 wildfires burning in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. “Twenty of those are now out of control, 45 are being held, and 48 are under control,” said Tucker. “So far this year we’ve had 1,000 wildfires in Alberta, burning more than 560,000 hectares.” Tucker said July has been more active than usual for wildfires. This is because Alberta has seen 488 new wildfire starts, which is almost half the total for the year. Ellis followed up by saying he has no date on when hooking up the power in Jasper will finish. “Certainly the exact date when I spoke to the incident command team earlier this morning is that ATCO is working feverishly to make sure that the scenes are safe,” he said. “So that means they’re really having to go home by home, business by business.” He said he observed downed power poles, with some of them landing on other structures. Live wires have been found in certain areas of Jasper. Jasper caught on fire on July 24, with a popular lodge and many other buildings in the town up in flames.READ MORE: UPDATED: Town of Jasper ablaze, fire reaches historic Park Lodge, military on the wayParks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth and Municipality of Jasper Incident Commander Christine Nadon confirmed parts of the southern wildfire in Jasper National Park had found their way into the town’s limits. “At just before 6 p.m. this evening, portions of the South Fire in Jasper National Park reached the outskirts of the Jasper townsite after being driven by strong winds gusts from the south and southeast,” said Ellsworth and Nadon.
Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said incident command and management staff are expected to open Hwy. 16 to commercial traffic in the next 24 hours after being closed due to the Jasper wildfire. Ellis pointed out Hwy. 16 “is an important economic corridor, and it’s a priority for us to get large trucks and tractor trailers passing through the park again.” “The final details and timelines will be at the discretion of Parks Canada and the municipality, but we are offering contingency planning support to help things forward,” said Ellis at a Wednesday press conference. “In the townsite, ATCO Electric has started to turn power back on, including the wastewater treatment plant.” However, Ellis said ATCO Gas is conducting its damage assessment, with gas services remaining unavailable. He added the Municipality of Jasper has commenced debris removal from identified commercial sites. The Municipality of Jasper has committed to working with Jasper residents on any cleanup or debris removal on their properties. While specialized crews will likely conduct the cleanup, it said residents will have direct influence on this work. He said many people were forced to leave their campers and trailers in Jasper National Park. In response, he said a plan will be implemented in the next 24 to 48 hours for these people. Teams continue to plan for taking evacuees from Valemount, BC, through Jasper National Park to Hinton, AB. He said reuniting them with their families and friends is a priority. Since the wildfire evacuees have gone through an exhausting, stressful time over the past week, he said no one should be put at further risk. He added the wildfire remains active and could become worse because of the weather conditions in the coming days. This means planning has to be careful and deliberate. The Alberta government will continue to support the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada as it continues with this work. Ellis concluded by praising the first responders who are on the frontlines in Jasper and across Alberta. He said the work they are doing is vital and important. Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said next week will see higher temperatures return, bringing heightened wildfire danger and activity.“With that in mind, we are working hard to make progress on several wildfires threatening communities while the weather is on our side,” said Loewen. “Alberta’s government continues to assist on the Jasper Wildfire Complex (JWC).” Loewen said its crews, helicopters, and heavy equipment are assisting now with the JWC and has air tankers it can send if necessary. Parks Canada has reported 750 personnel across multiple federal, provincial, and municipal agencies are responding to it. Alberta Wildfire Information Unit Manager Christie Tucker went on to say there are 114 wildfires burning in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. “Twenty of those are now out of control, 45 are being held, and 48 are under control,” said Tucker. “So far this year we’ve had 1,000 wildfires in Alberta, burning more than 560,000 hectares.” Tucker said July has been more active than usual for wildfires. This is because Alberta has seen 488 new wildfire starts, which is almost half the total for the year. Ellis followed up by saying he has no date on when hooking up the power in Jasper will finish. “Certainly the exact date when I spoke to the incident command team earlier this morning is that ATCO is working feverishly to make sure that the scenes are safe,” he said. “So that means they’re really having to go home by home, business by business.” He said he observed downed power poles, with some of them landing on other structures. Live wires have been found in certain areas of Jasper. Jasper caught on fire on July 24, with a popular lodge and many other buildings in the town up in flames.READ MORE: UPDATED: Town of Jasper ablaze, fire reaches historic Park Lodge, military on the wayParks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth and Municipality of Jasper Incident Commander Christine Nadon confirmed parts of the southern wildfire in Jasper National Park had found their way into the town’s limits. “At just before 6 p.m. this evening, portions of the South Fire in Jasper National Park reached the outskirts of the Jasper townsite after being driven by strong winds gusts from the south and southeast,” said Ellsworth and Nadon.
