Municipality of Jasper - Wildfire update

Current as of 1 p.m., July 28, 2024

⚠ Jasper Wildfire Complex Update

The community of Jasper is grieving confirmed losses in the town. We have been working hard to be able to get the same accuracy of information for areas outside of the town and a map is being developed. With hot spots in the town extinguished, crews can focus efforts to other residences and outlying accommodation areas.

To every single firefighter, contractor and resource that answered our call, thank you. 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.

Our goal is to control this wildfire and we can only reopen when safe to do so. This is the largest wildfire recorded in Jasper National Park in the last 100 years, and ensuring that residents and visitors are safe to return will take time.

🔺 Town security

While the Jasper Townsite is evacuated, the RCMP is ensuring the security of the area. There are checkpoints along highway 16 securing the entrance into the town and barricades at Saskatchewan Crossing and at the west gate entrance on the border of British Columbia.

The RCMP has a 24-hour presence in Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper. Access to the townsite is limited to incident staff and critical contractors who are responding to this active emergency. Travel into and out of Jasper National Park remains restricted and can only be evaluated for reopening when the risk of wildfire activity is significantly reduced.

Patrols are ensuring that no unauthorized access to the community is occurring. Any unauthorized people found in the community will be subject to arrest.

🔺 Protecting the town of Jasper

Over the next few days crews will be working on a detailed damage assessment that includes utilities, structures, roads, and bridges.

Fire crews may be strategically igniting pockets of remaining fuel to better protect the community.

🔺 Damage to the town of Jasper

We released an initial map of damage to structures in town based on a street view assessment. We know that some structures marked “no visible damage” may have actually sustained damage to the sides, back or inside. Please see the Municipalities web page for more information and some FAQs supporting this information ➡ www.jasper-alberta.ca/p/damagemap

Crews in town are maintaining sprinkler systems and actioning any hot spots near the town perimeter.

The wildfire continues to pose a risk to the community. To help reduce this risk the 12” high volume sprinkler system is being redeployed from south of the community to the vulnerable north and west side of the community to address the risk posed by active fire burning near the town.

🔺 Requests for item retrieval and fridge removal

The Unified Command Team and individuals working to respond to the incident are receiving significant numbers of requests for assistance in retrieving important personal items or removing food, fridges and freezers.

Rotting food in fridges and freezers without power can unfortunately result in contamination to homes. We’re aware of this, and are working to restore power to as much of the townsite as possible in order to minimize this risk.

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. We cannot accommodate these requests at this time.

🔺 Wildfire status

The wildfire spanning ~ 32,000 ha 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. There were minimal open flames in the forest on Saturday, however some hot spots began to become more active as the forest fuel dries.

We expect to see a continued increase in fire behaviour today, as fuels continue to dry out.

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.

Yesterday, heavy equipment supervisors and Parks Canada Environmental Assessment specialists created a plan to build containment lines using bulldozers. This work started today, along the Pyramid Lake fire road.

Options are also being examined for small ignition operations on the perimeter of the wildfire to secure it to control lines and natural fire barriers. These operations are used to help control the perimeter by bringing it to the control lines under favourable weather conditions.

Crews are also working to extinguish fires and hot spots along Highway 16.

Some crews are focusing on extinguishing fires on Pyramid Bench near town.

Dozer protection lines are being added between Tram line road and Highway 16. Dozer protection lines are also being added along existing fire breaks such as Pyramid Fire Road, which are also being widened.

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.

Dozer protection lines don’t prevent fires from spreading through airborne sparks, but they can also be used in future planned ignitions, where areas are intentionally burned in order to deprive the main fire of these fuels.

The fire has burned over a very large area. Due to the drought conditions that existed before the fire and the high intensity of the fire itself, many hot spots exist throughout the fire’s area and along the perimeter. These hot spots take extraordinary amounts of water directly applied to them in order to be fully extinguished.

Water bombers are not currently active on this fire, as they do not apply the water directly enough to effectively target hotspots. Water bombers are an ideal tool for reducing active fire growth, and remain a tool available to the incident if flying conditions are safe and if their use would be effective.

To see more photos of Jasper, visit https://parks.canada.ca/.../feu.../feudeforet-wildfire...

Please note: These photographs were captured by a Parks Canada photographer who is trained and equipped to be on scene during a wildfire.

🔺 Highway reopening

We know that Highway 16 is a critical route for many. The fire is still actively burning/smouldering along Highway 16.

Incident staff are working to develop plans to reopen Highway 16 and Icefields Parkway 93N to the public. Unfortunately, we do not have a timeline for this right now. We will communicate this as soon as we have an estimate.

🔺 Updates on campgrounds and areas outside of the town of Jasper

We're working to build an accurate map of impacted hotels/infrastructure and campgrounds outside of the town.

We know that many people were forced to leave their belongings, trailers or campers behind in the campgrounds during the evacuation. Doing so was critical in the successful evacuation of Jasper National Park.

🔺 Access to areas not directly impacted by the fire

We understand that it feels like access to areas not directly impacted by the fire should be open now. This fire is still very much an active incident, and the situation may continue to change rapidly.

At this time, there are no emergency services available within Jasper National Park, and all available Parks Canada resources are being dedicated to this emergency.

Our goal is to reopen roadways/areas as soon as possible, however, we must do so safely and in a way which doesn’t divert resources from managing the active crisis.

📲Staying Informed

We are trying to keep all new information updated on the website and social channels.

Visit jasper-alberta.ca and look for updated news on the wildfires. If you want to contact the municipality for information please email - wildfireinfo@jasper-alberta.ca.

Past updates

July 27, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to the Unified Command of Parks Canada, the Municipality of Jasper, many agencies are providing resources to assist the response efforts. This includes personnel from Alberta Wildfire, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, the Canadian Armed Forces, ATCO Power, Telus, CN Rail, numerous municipal fire departments and many many more. We are grateful to our partners, the town of Hinton and businesses for all of the support during this continued incident.

Wildfire Status

The fire remains classified as out of control, and will be until a perimeter has been secured or the fire is extinguished.

Recent fire activity has been low. Today will see a return to slightly warmer and drier weather. Some areas, which did not receive rain, may see an increase in fire behaviour in the coming days.

Yesterday, an initial aerial survey of the perimeter was conducted and the fire size has been revised down to approximately- 32,000 hectares. This makes it the largest wildfire in more than 100 years in Jasper National Park

Crews are working along the perimeter closest to town and are planning for the creation of containment lines. Teams are focusing on securing spot fires in priority areas such as the Pyramid Bench Area near the townsite.

Bucketing will be taking place near Marmot Basin today. We do not have a current assessment of the impact to Marmot Basin Infrastructure.

Jasper Townsite

Fire suppression has been progressing well, and we are anticipating that all remaining fires within the townsite will be extinguished today.

Damage assessment has begun on utility, road and bridge infrastructure.

Power is being restored to parts of the downtown core and critical infrastructure today. This will help to speed up further damage assessment and recovery.

Evacuee transit through Jasper National Park

We know that many evacuees are hoping to be able to travel through Jasper National Park from the Valemount area to Hinton in order to reunite with friends and family. Teams are developing a plan to facilitate this, and we will share more information as soon as it is available.

Campgrounds and Parks Canada Accommodations

Currently, reservations up until August 6 have been cancelled for front country and backcountry camping, as well as forParks Canada accommodations. This date will be reassessed once assessments of the Jasper townsite and outlying infrastructure have been completed.

There is no need for further action on the part of visitors for cancellations and refunds for Parks Canada campgrounds and accommodations. Refunds will be handled through the Parks Canada Reservation System automatically, this will ensure that you receive a full refund.

The status of Parks Canada campgrounds has not yet been confirmed. We will share this information when we are able to.

Unauthorized access to closure on Highway 93:

We are receiving reports of increased numbers of violations of the closure of Jasper National Park along the icefields parkway. While there is no risk of wildfire in these areas, it is critical that visitors do not enter the park at this time.

There are no services available in the park as all resources are engaged in responding to the Jasper Wildfire Complex. Jasper Dispatch operations have been impacted, search and rescue services are unavailable, and no road rescue response is possible. If you experience an emergency, contact Parks Canada Dispatch at 780-852-6155.

An FAQ page has been added to the website. Please visit jasper-alberta.ca for continued updates.

The Alberta Government is hosting a Telephone Online town hall for Albertans who have been evacuated, to receive updates on the wildfire situation and answers to their questions.

Monday, July 29 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm

How to participate

Phone: 1-833-380-0691

Listen and ask questions online (closed captioning is available)

If you are not able to join, a recording will be available after the event.\

July 26, 2024

Jasper Wildfire Complex Update: Current as of 10 p.m. July 26, 2024

Today crews are taking advantage of the cooler weather to make progress on containing the remaining hotspots in smouldering structures and along the wildfire perimeter closest to the townsite.

Assessments to infrastructure damages is an ongoing process.

Damage within the townsite is estimated at around 30%. Out of a total of 1113 structures within the town, 358 have been destroyed. However all critical infrastructure in Jasper were successfully protected including the hospital, the library and the firehall. We are grateful to our responders efforts to contain the fire, minimize the damage and begin to restore essential utilities.

We are empathetic to the residents and businesses seeking more information on specific details on the extent of damage. We are working hard to verify this information and hope to release it soon.

We know people are seeing images on media and social media but what we know about fire incidents is getting the information right is paramount. It takes time to get this information correct, we understand your frustrations and we will publicly share more information when we are in a better position to do so. We want to avoid telling people they lost their home when they didn’t, or saying they didn’t lose their home when they did.

We are finalizing a list of addresses of damaged structures and intend to release it shortly

For individuals who may have left pets behind, the Bylaw Officer will take them to Hinton SPCA. You can call or text 780-852-5518 for updates.

This is the last update for today, July 26. We will resume updates in the morning.

Update for residents

Residents and businesses of the town of Jasper, we understand that this is an incredibly difficult and challenging time but our priorities remain addressing the active fire and assessing structural damage in the community. We are happy to report all critical infrastructure has been saved. We appreciate how hard it is to wait for confirmation about your homes.

Our crews continue to fight the fire and we remain focused on making it safe for the people of Jasper to come home. The area remains closed for public safety, evacuation order is still in effect.

Jasper Wildfire Complex

The priority for the 154 firefighters in Jasper is to put out many hot spots in the outskirts of Jasper and in the trees directly surrounding the town of Jasper and critical infrastructure. Cooler conditions are reducing fire behaviour as showers tapered off overnight. Winds are anticipated to reach up to 30 km/h and may increase fire activity.

Assessments of infrastructure damages is ongoing. The damage within the townsite is estimated at around 30%. Out of a total of 1113 structures within the town, 358 have been destroyed. All critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant. We are grateful to our wildfire teams efforts to contain the fire and minimize the damage.

July 25, 2024

𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿:

Dear Jasperites,
I write to you today with profound sorrow as we begin to come to terms with the devastating impact of last night’s wildfire that has ravaged our beloved community. The destruction and loss that many of you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension; my deepest sympathies go out to each of you.

Our first priority continues to be your safety and well-being. The Incident Management Team together with responders on the ground, continue to work valiantly to protect our town – our home – and to coordinate supports for evacuees in other communities.

I want to assure you that your Mayor and Councillors are committed to supporting our community through this truly unprecedented challenge and beyond. We will work closely with all levels of government, other organizations, and volunteers to coordinate relief efforts and provide essential resources and information.

Your resilience and strength have always been the backbone of our community. In the coming days and weeks, we will rally together, support one another, and begin the daunting process of recovery.

Please continue to be patient and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.
This experience is tremendously traumatic for each of us and for the community. I encourage you to reach out to your neighbours, colleagues and friends: share your grief; share your pain; stay connected.

Offer a helping hand, a listening ear, a supportive word where you can, and know that we are all in this together.

With unwavering support and resolve,

Mayor Ireland
_______________________
Jasper, it’s hard to know where to start, but here are some resources compiled by our team:

𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: It's normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or sad. Some physical symptoms might include headaches, stomach aches, or muscle tension.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽: If you experience severe emotional reactions, such as excessive guilt, anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm, please reach out for professional help.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀
1. Eat Well and Stay Hydrated: Good nutrition and hydration are crucial for maintaining your energy, focus, and overall health.
2. Stay Active: Gentle physical activities, like walking or stretching, can help relieve stress and improve your mood.
3. Get Enough Rest: Ensure you and your family get adequate sleep to better manage stress and emotions.
4. Practice Relaxation Techniques: Deep breathing exercises can calm your nervous system and help you think more clearly.
Support for Children and Teens
• Limit Media Exposure: Protect children from repeated exposure to distressing news. When they do see or hear about the disaster, discuss it calmly and reassure them.
• Model Positive Coping: Children learn from your reactions.

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗲:
Encourage Open Communication: Let children express their feelings and ask questions. Answer honestly at a level they can understand.
Maintain Routines: Keeping regular meal and sleep times can provide a sense of normalcy and security.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:
Psychologists’ Association of Alberta: 3 free sessions with a volunteer psychologist. 1-888-424-0297 | paa@paa-ab.ca
Mental Health Help Line (24/7): 1-877-303-2642
Addiction Help Line: 1-866-332-2322
First Nations & Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
Crisis Text Line Text: “CONNECT” to 741741
Alberta 211: 211 Alberta is a 24/7 crisis line and single point of contact for digital supports and services near you – no matter where you are in the province. Call or text 'INFO' to 211 or visit ab.211.ca.
Text4hope: Text HOPEAB to 393939 to subscribe.
Health Link: 811
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, www.KidsHelpPhone.caDue to significant fire activity and forecasted strong winds, first responders will start to be relocated to Hinton. Firefighting personnel, aircraft and a small number of Incident Command staff will remain in the town of Jasper and continue efforts to protect the town.

UPDATE:
The safety of the public and responders is our top priority.

One of the last tactics for protecting the community are landscape-level ignition operations where fire specialists bring the fire to large holding features, including Highway 16 and the Athabasca River.

If you have not yet evacuated town you must leave now. This is for your own safety and to allow these critical operations to protect the town of Jasper to continue unimpeded.

This decision has not been made lightly. First responders dedicate their lives to the protection of people and communities. Given the intensity of fire behaviour being observed the decision has been made to limit the number of responders exposed to this risk.

Our hearts go out to all of the affected community members, their families and their friends, many of which include our local first responders.

Thank you.

Signed,
Parks Canada, Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth
Municipality of Jasper, Incident Commander Christine Nadon

__________________________________________

Jasper Wildfire Complex Update: Current as of 10 pm

Wildfire update - July 25, 2024

Temperatures cooled and rain started shortly after midnight last night. The 10-15 mm of rainfall in the national park has led to minimal fire behaviour and spread today. This precipitation will likely keep fire behaviour low for the next 72 hours.

Crews will take advantage of this time to make as much progress as possible to suppress the wildfire and reduce further spread. While rain in Jasper is a welcome sight, warm weather is forecasted and will increase wildfire activity. Currently the Jasper Wildfire Complex poses no threat to neighbouring communities.

Estimated fire size map

Accurately mapping the Jasper Wildfire Complex has been challenging for many reasons including strong winds, extreme fire behaviour, smoke and relocating the incident management personnel to Hinton on the evening of July 24. Aircraft have not been able to fly safely and today satellite imaging was obscured by thick cloud cover.

The map included in this update shows the estimated perimeter of what we originally named the North and South Wildfires. This map is a best available estimate based on satellite imaging and what crews have been able to see from the ground. Future maps will change when we can map the perimeter from the air. Because the perimeter of the two wildfires have met, we are now referring to wildfires in Jasper National Park as the Jasper Wildfire Complex.

This area is now estimated at 36,000 hectares.

The levels of fire activity within the mapped perimeters can vary widely. In the event that the fire perimeters overlay areas where property or infrastructure is present, the perimeters do not indicate what level of damage (if any) may have occurred. This information should only be used for reference purposes.

Jasper Wildfire Complex

A complex refers to more than one wildfire. The Jasper Wildfire Complex now includes the combined North and South wildfires and the Utopia wildfire near Miette Hot Springs that started on July 19. The Utopia Wildfire was almost being held before the other wildfires started and will be reassessed on Friday, July 26.

The Unified Incident Command Post is fully operating in Hinton. We wish to express gratitude to the Town of Hinton and their residents for all of their support. Unified Command means that responsibility for the response is shared among multiple agencies. Managing this emergency under Unified Command creates a safer and more effective environment to work in. All agencies know where resources are and what they are being used for. They can use all available resources and work in tandem rather than working around each other.

This will be the last update for tonight, July 25. We will provide further updates and information tomorrow.

Jasper Complex Wildfire Update: Current as of 4:38 pm

Structural damage update

We know that people are seeing images from Jasper and are anxious for more information about the extent of impacts to the town.

Structural fire protection units are still fighting fires within the town and continue to fight fires moving from one building to another. We appreciate your patience as we work to make conditions in the town safe enough for a detailed assessment to be completed.

Incident Command is able to confirm that all critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.

Although more time is needed to complete a detailed damage assessment, it is clear that some homes and businesses have been lost.

The most significant structural damage is concentrated on the west side of town, southwest of Miette Avenue. Firefighting efforts have prevented significant damage to much of the infrastructure in the east end of town. Our priority remains protecting structures that have not yet been impacted by fire.

The fire also damaged a number of bridges around the town and throughout the national park, including the Moberly Bridge and the Old Fort Point Bridge. Bridges on the Icefields Parkway will need to be assessed for structural damage as well. These impacts will slow down access to the Maligne Lake and Highway 93 and it will take time for a full damage assessment to take place in these areas.

Wildfire update

Yesterday, driven by winds with gusts upwards of 100 kilometers an hour, the north and south fire both spread towards the town of Jasper and have merged together. At this time we do not have an updated size.

With today’s rain and cooler temperatures, fire activity is significantly subdued. However, it is important to note that the fire is still out of control and significant work remains before conditions are safe enough to allow for limited re-entry into the park.

Crews are taking advantage of today’s conditions to make progress on containing the fire and the community, before conditions return to hot and dry.

Disaster response

The Incident Management Team is growing and working in Unified Command with the Municipality of Jasper, now supported by Canada Task Force 2 (CAN-TF2). This is an All Hazards Disaster Response Team with diverse capabilities to support impacted communities across Canada responding to large-scale events, emergencies and disasters.

Canada Task Force 2 is assisting the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada to coordinate the response to the wildfire, its impacts to the community, and support our eventual recovery.

We know that the uncertainty makes this crisis even harder to bear. We will continue to provide information as soon as we are able to ensure that this information is accurate and not subject to change given the still dynamic situation.

July 24, 2024

UPDATE: 3:15 PM, Wednesday, July 24, 2024

The Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park have been evacuated due to active wildfires. This has been a very stressful time for residents and visitors to the town. We commend everyone’s cooperation towards a successful initial evacuation. We are grateful to the responders fighting the fire and to the generosity of neighbouring communities.

We know many people affected by the evacuation are wondering about next steps.

Evacuee Registration:

Once you have evacuated, it’s important to register as an evacuee.
• Use this link if you have a MyAlberta Digital ID: https://emergencyregistration.alberta.ca/
• You can also register as an Evacuee in-person at a Reception Centre.
Where to go:
If you have friends or family you can stay with, please make arrangements.
Camping (while space allows):
• The County of Wetaskiwin has offered free camping at the Buck Lake campground for evacuees displaced by the Jasper and Jasper National Park evacuation.
• The Town of Hinton has offered that evacuees can camp for free in the Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre Field, by the baseball diamonds/Splash pad and library.

Evacuee Reception Centres:
• Edmonton: 12814 58th St. Building B, Edmonton, A.B.
• Grande Prairie: Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Ave, Grande Prairie, A.B.
• Calgary: Shouldice Athletic Park, 1515 Home Road NW, Calgary, A.B.

Next Steps:
• Insurance: Residents and business owners are advised to call their insurer right away to begin a claim. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has a Consumer Information Centre to help people navigate their insurance policy during an evacuation and aftermath of an emergency.
Toll Free: 1-844-227-5422
Email: AskIBCWest@ibc.ca
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm MST
• Service Canada’s Outreach Support Centre (OSC): Can share information about programs and services offered by Service Canada.
Phone: 1-877-631-2657
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Employment Insurance (EI): Residents can apply for Employment Insurance (EI) as soon as possible, even without a Record of Employment (ROE). You can reach out to the Outreach Support Centre create an interim ROE.
Clients must provide a mailing address to apply for EI. If clients have been temporarily displaced to a hotel, shelter or are staying with friends or family due to the evacuation they can use their temporary address to apply for EI and then update the address later.
• Canada Post: Sign up for direct deposit, update your address if necessary. For more information about mail delivery, clients can visit Canada Post website or call 1-888-550-6333.

Re-entry:
People have been asking if they can go back to Jasper to get things they had to leave behind in the evacuation. It is not safe to return to Jasper at this time. Our top priority is keeping everyone safe. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

Wildfire:
Parks Canada’s main focus is protecting the town and community of Jasper. They're working to stop the wildfires from spreading towards town, Highway 16, and important buildings. Stay updated by following @jaspernationalpark on Facebook for the latest wildfire news. We will also share updates from Parks Canada as they become available.

Helpful Links:
Road closures: Alberta 511 https://511.alberta.ca/#:Alerts

________________________________________

UPDATE: 1:05 PM (MST) July 24, 2024

For evacuees that are currently in Valemount, BC, who require transportation, one bus will depart from Valemount to Edmonton via Jasper. Today at 1pm PST.

July 24th – 1:00pm PST departure
Departure Point: 101 Gorse St., Valemount
Drop Off Point: Edmonton Reception Centre at 12814 58th St. Building B, Edmonton

This will be the last scheduled bus travelling from Valemount.

July 23, 2024

UPDATE: 2:15 PM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Please note the below bus transportation options for evacuees:

Evacuees in Valemount, BC:
4 x buses will depart from Valemount to transport up to 45 passengers per bus to Calgary.

July 23rd – 1:00pm PST departure. Valemount to Calgary
Departure: 2 buses at 1245 1st Ave, Valemount and 2 buses at 101 Gorse St.
Drop Off: Shouldice Arena Reception Centre, Calgary
On this route, there will be a stop in Kamloops at a reception centre.

Evacuees in Prince George, BC:
3 x buses will depart from Prince George to transport up to 45 passengers per bus to Grande Prairie.

July 23rd - 4:00pm PST departure. Prince George to Grande Prairie – one bus
July 24th – 10:00am PST departure. Prince George to Grande Prairie – two buses
Departure: 4248 18th Ave, Prince George.
Drop Off: Bonnets Energy Centre 10017 99 Ave, Grande Prairie. T8W 5E7

Evacuees still in Jasper, AB:
1 x bus will depart from Jasper transporting up to 45 passengers to Edmonton.

July 23rd – 4:00pm MST departure. Jasper to Edmonton – one bus
Departure: Jasper Activity Centre, 303 Bonhomme St.
Drop Off: 12814 58th St. Building B Edmonton Reception Centre

UPDATE: 11:00 AM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

For individuals who have evacuated to Valemount from assembly points and the Activity Centre in Jasper, please go to New Life Centre at 1245 1st Ave or the Community Hall at 101 Gorse Street in Valemount. Buses will provide transportation to the reception centre in Calgary at Shouldice Arena.

Resources for Evacuees:

Insurance: The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has a Consumer Information Centre to help people navigate their insurance policy during an evacuation and aftermath of a wildfire.

The centre is staffed by insurance professionals who can answer questions about insurance policies, coverage and the claims process.

Most fire insurance policies provide coverage for living expenses due to a government-ordered evacuation.
Residents and business owners are advised to call their insurer right away to begin a claim.
Often insurers can transfer funds to evacuees almost immediately.
Toll Free: 1-844-227-5422

Email: AskIBCWest@ibc.ca

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm MST

Website: Frequently Asked Questions and other insurance information for businesses and consumers whom have been evacuated due to wildfires.

Service Canada:

Service Canada’s Outreach Support Centre (OSC) can share information about programs and services offered by Service Canada. The OSC is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: 1-877-631-2657

Employment Insurance (EI): Residents can apply for Employment Insurance (EI) as soon as possible, even without a Record of Employment (ROE). You can reach out to the Outreach Support Centre create an interim ROE.
Clients must provide a mailing address to apply for EI. If clients have been temporarily displaced to a hotel, shelter or are staying with friends or family due to the evacuation they can use their temporary address to apply for EI and then update the address later.
Canada Post

Sign up for direct deposit
Update your address if necessary.
For more information about mail delivery, clients can visit Canada Post website or call 1-888-550-6333.

For media inquiries, contact pc.media@pc.gc.ca.

UPDATE: 4:35 AM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The Town of Valemount has limited services and cannot accommodate more evacuees at the community hall.

If you are on the road, please drive carefully and stop and get some rest as needed.

This is an evolving emergency situation. Please be patient and be safe. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

UPDATE: 2:30 AM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The evacuation is progressing. Thank you for your patience. Please continue to follow directives from officials.

The majority of traffic is being directed west on Highway 16.

Only when roadside fire conditions permit, small groups of escorted vehicles will be directed east on Highway 16.

Assembly points at Maligne Lodge and Forest Park Hotel are closed.

Please go to the Activity Centre at 303 Bonhomme Street if you need assistance.

There is a reception centre in Valemount at the community hall located at 101 Gorse Street.

Limited overnight lodging will be available.

Evacuees can proceed to two communities with designated reception centres for supports, however are encouraged to stop at safe rest stops along the way.

Grande Prairie: Take Highway 16 West to Prince George, then proceed North via Highway 97, then south on Highway 2 and back East to Grande Prairie via Highway 43.

Calgary: Take Highway 5 South to Kamloops, then proceed East to Calgary via Highway 1.

More information on designated rest points will be updated as they become available.

UPDATE: 1:55 AM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Evacuees can proceed to two communities with designated reception centres for supports, however are encouraged to stop at safe rest stops along the way.

Grande Prairie: Take Highway 16 West to Prince George, then proceed North via Highway 97, then south on Highway 2 and back East to Grande Prairie via Highway 43

Calgary: Take Highway 5 South to Kamloops, then proceed East to Calgary via Highway 1

More information on designated rest points will be updated as they become available.

UPDATE: 12:15 AM, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada are working together on:

• Clearing up traffic gridlocks

• Ensuring fuel is available along the way

• Evacuating vulnerable populations in a safe manner

• Getting additional resources including firefighting equipment and busses

Traffic should be flowing better on Highway 16 west. Thank you for your patience. Please drive safe.

If you need to take a break, the Town of Valemount has opened a reception centre at their community hall located at 101 Gorse Street. Limited overnight lodging will be available.

We are working with the Government of Alberta to establish a reception centre in a large city. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

If you can find a campground or hotel to spend the night, or family or friends where you can spend the night, please do so.

July 22, 2024

*CORRECTION: The fire is NOT expected to reach the community in 5 hours. The town should be evacuated in 5 hours. Evacuation to take place between 10 PM (July 22, 2024) and 3 AM (July 23, 2024).

This is an Alberta Emergency Alert. The Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park have issued a Wildfire alert.

There is a wildfire south of town. An Evacuation Order has been issued for the Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park.

This alert is in effect for everyone located in Jasper and Jasper National Park.

Action to take:

- Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate now

- The town should be evacuated in 5 hours. Evacuation to take place between 10 PM (July 22, 2024) and 3 AM (July 23, 2024)

- Please drive safe

- Use Highway 16 towards British Columbia

- Follow directions from local authorities

- Bring identification, important documents, medication, pets and your emergency kit with you

- Check the Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park's Facebook page and website for more information

- If you need a ride, go to the Activity Centre, Forest Park Hotel or Maligne Lodge

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Wildfire update - July 28, 2024 at 1 p.m.