A massive wildfire has swept through part of the western Canadian resort town of Jasper, authorities said, with firefighters working Thursday (25) to save as many buildings as possible.
Jasper is located in the middle of Jasper National Park in Alberta. The town and park, which attracts more than 2 million tourists a year, were evacuated on Monday when officials estimated there were 15,000 visitors to the park.
“As photos and videos circulating online show, significant losses have occurred in the town area,” Parks Canada said in a statement, but did not elaborate.
Authorities said the flames in Jasper reached a height of 400 feet (121 meters) and were moving at 50 feet (15 meters) per minute at one point on Wednesday (24).
Loss report and rain forecast
Ashley Kliewer, co-owner of a restaurant in the middle of Jasper, said she was told the entire east end of town had burned.
“I’m absolutely devastated… I don’t think anyone will be returning to Jasper any time soon and life will not be anywhere near what it was — it really is the end of an era,” Kliewer told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Jasper Park Lodge, one of the city’s largest hotels, said the fire had spread to its premises. The 400-room hotel is run by Fairmont, a group owned by France’s Accor.
Environment Canada, the government website that issues weather alerts, is predicting 10 to 20 mm of rain for Thursday, which could help firefighters.
Wildfires burning out of control in Canada
There are currently 175 wildfires burning in Alberta, Canada, and more than 50 are out of control.
About 10 of those fires are near the border with British Columbia, where dozens of fires are also burning out of control.
The federal government said in April that high temperatures and dry forests could lead to one of Canada’s worst wildfire years.
Fire could reach oil pipeline
The Canadian government and other cities in Alberta are sending emergency crews. A major concern for rescuers is if the fire reaches the Trans Mountain pipeline, which can transport 890,000 barrels of oil per day from Edmonton to Vancouver.
“Losing structures, community, it’s like losing a close friend… (but) people were saved and that’s significant. We can find a way to rebuild,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland told CBC.
The Jasper fire could be one of the most damaging in Alberta since a 2016 conflagration that ripped through the oil hub of Fort McMurray, forcing the evacuation of all 90,000 residents. The blaze destroyed 10 percent of all structures in the city and shut down more than a million barrels a day of oil production.
Fort McMurray is forecast to receive up to 65 mm of rain over the next day, according to Environment Canada.
Source: CNN Brasil
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