Parts of Jasper in Alberta, Canada, have been devastated by wildfires.
Jasper, an
historic Alpine skiing area near Alberta, suffered through as many as 170
blazes believed to be caused
by lightning strikes.
“(It) has been an
exceptionally difficult day for Jasperites, incident personnel and everyone who
loves Jasper,” Jasper National Park said on its official X page.
“Significant loss
has occurred within the townsite,” another social media post from the park
read. “Our focus
continues to be on saving as many structures as possible.”
In a piece of good
news, park officials said that critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and
the high school and junior high school facilities, were spared. Nonetheless,
there was significant damage.
“Although more
time is needed to complete a detailed damage assessment, it is clear that some
homes and businesses have been lost,” a statement on Facebook read. “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.”
Alberta
Premier Danielle Smith said that between 30 and 50 percent of the
buildings have been lost.
“We share a sense
of loss with all of those who live in the town and care for it and have helped
build it. Jasper we will continue to stand by you,” she said.
More than 400
firefighters from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have
arrived to help battle the wildfires. Jasper National Park officials said that gusty winds have fueled
the fire and merged two different fires together toward the town.
It is eerily reminiscent
of the wildfires last summer on Maui, which is still struggling to recover.
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