The intensity of the Jasper Wildfire led to the combustion of structures and surrounding property, potentially releasing a wide range of contaminants from both the building materials and home/garage contents. Contaminants can be present in the ash and debris, and certain contaminants can potentially drain into the underlying soil, surface waters and groundwater. Ensuring contaminants in air and soil are at safe levels is a priority to ensure the long-term health and safety of the community and reassure residents as they rebuild.   

As many Jasper homeowners are nearing the debris removal phase of recovery, this webpage provides more details about the importance of post-testing for any residual contamination. 

Following the 2024 Jasper Wildfire, the steps for recovery include:

• pre-testing for contaminants (‘waste characterization’) in debris and ash,
• debris removal and disposal,
• post-testing for contaminants (‘confirmatory sampling’), and follow-up remediation if needed,
• rebuilding.

These steps are standard practice across jurisdictions in Canada to ensure safety before, during and after demolition.

There are two types of contaminant analysis required after a structural residential fire during the debris removal process: 

1. waste characterization: this samples the ash and debris that is going to landfill and is done to meet the requirements of the receiving landfill; and 
2. confirmatory sampling: this samples the soil after debris has been removed and the surface soil has been cleaned. This step-out tests the surrounding and deeper soils to ensure there is no risks to human health or the environment from any leftover contamination.

Following the Jasper Wildfire, Parks Canada together with the Municipality of Jasper published the Post fire demolition supplemental mitigations which outlines requirements that contractors must meet as part of their demolition permit. The supplemental mitigations were created by Parks Canada using best practices from similar wildfires in urban areas, including in Fort McMurray and California. This document also provides guidance for how to take samples, which contaminants to test for and the appropriate guidelines to assess contaminants against. 

Because each property is different, qualified environmental professionals (QEPs) may present alternative sampling plans if they justify that site specific conditions warrant a different sampling strategy to that presented in the supplemental mitigations. Parks Canada will review alternative sampling plans and must provide approval before sampling is done.

The following contaminants are a potential concern and were found in soil samples after the Fort McMurray fire (note that data is not publicly available on levels at which they were found):

• Petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs)
• Inorganics and general chemistry (including pH)
• Heavy metals
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Dioxins and Furans

For Jasper, the supplemental mitigations recommend a similar type of contaminant analysis to Fort McMurray, with the following differences:

• Asbestos was included due to the age range of the buildings. 
• Polyfluoro-Alkyl Substances (PFAS) and other flame retardants were included. PFAS are an emerging of contaminants that are used in household fire retardants. New types of PFAS are being found more often in residential items such as building materials, carpets, furniture, clothing, electronics, cleaners, paints, adhesives, plastics, pharmaceutical and personal care products. 
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)s were not included, as they are usually of concern in industrial settings. 

More attention has been given to the contaminant groups ‘dioxins and furans,’ and PFAS. These compounds are very toxic at low amounts and are hard to detect.  It takes longer to test for these chemicals compared to others due to how hard they are to analyze. Few laboratories have the specialized equipment to test for these.

The supplemental mitigations recommend that contaminants are less than the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) ‘residential/parkland’ guidelines that represent safe levels for human health and the environment. If these guidelines are not met, further soil investigation is needed to determine the amount of contamination and find steps to ensure the site is safe for the planned use. The CCME have not yet developed guidelines for all contaminants. Where CCME guidelines do not exist, guidelines developed by other environmental authorities may be used to inform safe contamination levels. 

Frequently asked questions: 

Why do I have to test for contaminants beyond asbestos?

Testing for asbestos is an important step, however, asbestos is only one of several groups of contaminants that can be released in structural fires. Other contaminants listed in the supplemental mitigations include heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and dioxins and furans. The total amount of potential contaminants in the soil must be below residential guidelines before a closure and rebuild certificates can be given out.

Why do I have to test for contamination before and after debris removal?

Contamination testing of the burned debris, rubble and ash may be required by the receiving landfill prior to dumping. This is known as waste characterization sampling and some landfills require it.  

Once the debris and surface soils are removed, confirmatory soil sampling is needed to ensure no left-over contamination is on the site. Making sure each lot is free from contamination is important for long-term community health. 

How many samples are needed?

Parks Canada’s supplementary mitigations suggest a spacing of 5m on each face and floor of the pit. A qualified environmental professional (QEP) may give a different sampling plan to Parks Canada for approval based on site specific conditions. 

My waste characterization sampling didn’t show any contamination. Why do I have to do confirmatory soil sampling?

Waste testing is done so the landfill can decide what to accept. Although the amount of contaminants at this stage can provide a guide of what contaminants may be present in deeper soils, contamination in ash and debris can behave very differently to the same contamination in soil. Testing the waste doesn’t always show the contaminants that have leaked deeper into the soil. A confirmatory soil sample is needed to make sure the site supports the long-term health of future residents. 

What happens if contamination is detected in the confirmatory samples?

 After debris removal, if soil samples show contaminants higher than the CCME residential guidelines, the following actions will take place: 

• Where isolated pockets of contamination are detected, further removal of contaminated soil will take place and more confirmatory sampling will be needed. 
• If contaminants are widespread across a lot, more detailed cleaning and removal or a risk assessment may be required. Parks Canada will work with leaseholders to find solutions to these specific circumstances. 

To date, most contaminants detected in confirmatory samples have been isolated pockets and have been easily removed and disposed of.

Why doesn’t my contractor manage the soil sampling?

Many demolition contractors will project manage the contamination sampling element of the demolition process. If your demolition contractor has not included confirmatory soil sampling in the scope of works, you may be responsible for finding an environmental consultant yourself. Speak to your demolition contractor or insurance company to understand what is included under your demolition contract.

Why does sample analysis take so long? Is there any way to reduce the cost of contamination sampling?

Confirmatory soil sampling is needed to ensure contaminants are not in the community at levels that could negatively affect the health of Jasperites in the future. Tests for some contaminants (e.g. PFAS, dioxins and furans) are more costly and take longer because the contaminants are toxic at low amounts, and fewer laboratories have the technology to complete the tests. 

Can I grow vegetables in my backyard?

Some contaminants in soil can be taken up by fruits and vegetables. Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper will be conducting soil sampling in greenspace and gardens, and giving more advice on this subject over the coming months. 

The government of Alberta published some gardening tips following the Fort McMurray fires.  Environmental monitoring in Fort McMurray | Alberta.ca