Jasper releases map showing homes lost in wildfire – Canada News

Photo: The Canadian Press

A small pile of burned out cars in Jasper, Alta., on Friday, July 26, 2024.

Details are now being released about the damage in Jasper, showing which buildings survived last week’s wildfire and which buildings were lost.

Saturday evening, Jasper National Park reported that all visible structural fires in the town of Jasper have been extinguished and that firefighters are patrolling for any additional fire activity.

“An infrared scan of the city will be conducted at night to provide firefighters with the GPS coordinates of hidden fires that they must extinguish,” the national park announced on social media Saturday night.

This latest update comes after the City of Jasper released a preliminary map of which buildings were affected by the fire. The map, found below, shows dozens of buildings in the western half of the city that were affected by the fire. Early estimates indicate that approximately 30% of the city was affected by the fire – approximately 358 buildings.

The municipality indicates that this latest information is still preliminary and is based on the damage visible from the street.

“I want to extend my sincere condolences to all those who have suffered losses. We are here to support the entire Jasper community,” said Alan Fehr, Jasper Field Unit Superintendent for Parks Canada.

“Together we are stronger and I have never been more proud of Parks Canada and the City of Jasper for their response to the most devastating wildfire in the history of a Canadian national park. Our thoughts are with you, your families and all residents and business owners during this incredibly difficult time.”

Residents are currently unable to return to Jasper.

“The city’s location is not safe. The chemicals released by a structural fire pose a serious health risk. There is still an active forest fire burning on the edge of the city. Firefighters and emergency responders need space to do their jobs safely,” the city said.

According to Jasper National Park, 15 pets have been rescued since the town was evacuated.

Although the fires in the community have been extinguished, the fire is still burning out of control and more activity is expected as temperatures rise in the coming days.

“Structure protection sprinklers are being relocated from previously burned areas to the active fire perimeter adjacent to the community and surrounding structures — to protect these areas,” Jasper National Park said. “This includes installing more structural protection sprinklers at Lake Edith and businesses north of the town of Jasper.

“A night vision helicopter has been requested from Alberta Wildfire. This specialized piece of equipment allows for night time deployments when there is less wildfire activity.”

Fire protection lines are also being constructed around the northern part of the city, while existing fire barriers are being widened.

Photo: Municipality of Jasper

Preliminary map showing destroyed (red) and damaged (yellow) buildings in Jasper, along with unaffected buildings (green).