2024-07-27 23:56:38
Fergal Smith
TORONTO (Reuters) – Efforts to extinguish a fire in the Canadian tourist town of Jasper have made progress and the remaining fires are expected to be out by the end of the day, authorities said on Saturday.
The fire, which is believed to have been caused by a massive wildfire sweeping through Jasper National Park in mountainous Alberta, has destroyed about a third of the town.
“Fire suppression efforts are progressing well in the Township of Jasper and we expect all remaining fires in the Township to be extinguished today,” Parks Canada, the government agency responsible for managing Canada’s national parks, told TVX.
“Power is being restored to parts of the city centre and critical infrastructure today. This will expedite further damage assessment and restoration.”
Despite this, the government agency said the wildfire situation in Jasper National Park was still classified as “out of control,” adding that it was the park’s largest wildfire in more than 100 years.
The town and park, which attract more than 2 million visitors a year to this part of the Rocky Mountains, were evacuated Monday.
There are currently 157 wildfires burning in Alberta, according to the province’s latest update. However, that’s six fewer than reported Friday.
“The cooler, wetter weather is helping firefighters extinguish some of these wildfires,” said Melissa Story, Alberta’s wildfire information officer.
“We all have to be patient. We know this will take some time, but rest assured we are making good progress.”
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