Jasper National Park under evacuation order due to wildfires

Visitors, campers and residents of Jasper National Park were told to leave the park late Monday night as high temperatures and wind fanned the flames of a wildfire threatening the national park in western Alberta.

An emergency warning for Alberta issued just before 10 p.m. MT and updated afterward said a wildfire was burning south of the city.

An evacuation order has been issued for both the town of Jasper and the rest of the national park.

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Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must now evacuate, the warning said, as the fire is moving toward the community and is expected to reach the community within five hours, or around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

People in Jasper were told to drive west on Highway 16/the Yellowhead towards British Columbia.

Bring identification, important documents, medications, pets, and your emergency kit.

If you need transportation from Jasper, you can go to the Activity Centre, Forest Park Hotel or Maligne Lodge.

The municipality of Jasper has also declared a state of emergency due to the forest fire.

Earlier in the evening, Parks Canada reported that firefighters and the Jasper Fire Department responded to a wildfire around the transit station, which is located about nine kilometres northeast of the town of Jasper.

— This is a breaking news story. More to come…

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