By Spencer Hall & Abigail Popple
Wildfire hotspots in the Town of Jasper have now been put out and crews are working on maintaining sprinkler systems and actioning any remaining hotspots near the town’s perimeter.
In an update posted to social media, Jasper National Park said the wildfire remains a risk to the community so a sprinkler system is being redeployed from the south of the community to the north and west sides to “address the risk posed by active fire burning near the town.”
“The wildfire spanning about 32,000 hectares is still burning to the north, south, and east of the town. The wildfire perimeter has been generally stable since the 12mm of rain received on July 25th,” Jasper National Park said.
On Saturday, there were minimal flames in the forest. However, some hot spots became more active due to the drying of forest fuels, which is expected to contribute to an increase in fire behavior on Sunday.
“Crews continue to work on securing the perimeter of the wildfire to prevent further spread towards the community and critical infrastructures. This work is being done by extinguishing hot spots, aided by helicopter bucketing,” it said.
On Sunday, heavy equipment operators and Parks Canada environmental assessment specialists began building a containment line with bulldozers along the Pyramid Lake fire road.
Dozer protection lines are being added between Tram Line Road and Highway 16, and along existing fire breaks like Pyramid Fire Road.
“Dozer protection lines are created when organic material is removed leaving behind only non-flammable mineral soil. These lines will stop the spread of fires on the ground, such as from burning grasses or forest floors,” Jasper National Park said.
Highways remain closed
Crews continue to work on extinguishing fires and hotspots along Highway 16.
Jasper National Park, Highway 16, and Icefields Parkway are still closed to the public, with no timeline for reopening. While there are parts of Jasper not directly impacted by the fire, there are no emergency services available within the park and all Parks Canada resources are being dedicated to the wildfire complex.
“Our goal is to reopen roadways/areas as soon as possible,” the post reads. “However, we must do so safely and in a way which doesn’t divert resources from managing the active crisis.”
Additionally, an accurate map of the impacted infrastructure and campgrounds outside of town is forthcoming, according to the post.
The RCMP have established checkpoints along the roads into town to ensure that nobody enters without authorization while the town is evacuated. Unauthorized people found in the community may be arrested.
Item retrieval not possible
Those who left sentimental items behind will have to wait until the town is reopened to retrieve them, as the firefighting team cannot accommodate requests for item retrieval.
Additionally, food left in household fridges or freezers cannot be removed by firefighting teams. Responders are working to restore power to as much of the townsite as they can to minimize the risk of food rotting and contaminating households.
“At this time all resources are fully engaged in operations to protect the town from the remaining wildfire risk and recovering from the impacts of the fire in the townsite.”
However, the Town’s Bylaw Officers have been authorized to rescue pets left behind in the evacuation and take them to the SPCA in Hinton. According to the Hinton & District SPCA, Bylaw Officers rescued eight cats and a bird today.
The SPCA will reach out to owners of the pets rescued last night some time today, the post adds.
The National Park thanked those who came to help battle the blazes, including Valemount, McBride and Clearwater firefighters.
“We want to highlight that Valemount, McBride, and Clearwater sent their crews and fire engines to us even while surrounded by their own wildfires. Thank you for answering our call for assistance and risking your own wellbeing to keep the bulk of our close-knit community intact,” The Park said.
The post reminds readers to visit jasper-alberta.ca for wildfire updates. To contact the Municipality of Jasper for wildfire information, email [email protected].
