EDMONTON – Parks officials say one of two wildfires bearing down on the Jasper, Alta., townsite has reached the southern outskirts of the community.
All first responders have been ordered out of Jasper National Park for their safety and to give fire crews more room to operate.
Two fires whipped by strong winds are bearing down on the town, from the north and the south.
Katie Ellsworth, with Parks Canada, said the southern one reached the outskirts of the townsite just before 6 p.m.
A last-ditch effort to reroute the fire to natural barriers like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River failed.
About 5,000 live in Jasper, and they, along with about 20,000 visitors, had to flee at a moment’s notice Monday night when the fires flared up.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.
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