Ottawa and Alberta match donations to Red Cross firefighters as Jasper residents view damage map

EDMONTON — As Jasper residents learn more about the damage the wildfires have done to their evacuated town, the Alberta and federal governments say they will double their donations to the Canadian Red Cross for wildfire relief efforts in the province.

In a joint press release, federal Emergency Management Minister Harjit Sajjan and Alberta Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said the donation matching initiative means every dollar donated will provide $3 in support of those hardest hit by wildfires in Jasper and across the province.

The term is 30 days, retroactive to the date the 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal first launched on Thursday.

Parks Canada estimates that 30 percent of the buildings in Jasper Township have been damaged by the wildfire that is still raging in the national park. A map of the town was released Saturday afternoon showing which buildings have been damaged.

The map gives residents a better idea of ​​what’s still standing and what’s not, but a city official cautions that the map is based on what can be seen from the street.

A Parks Canada official said Saturday that the fire is the largest Jasper National Park has recorded in the past 100 years. The federal agency said the fire is expected to become more active as temperatures rise in the coming days.