Fast-moving wildfire in Canada Rockies ravages picturesque resort town of Jasper
- Hundreds of foreign firefighters called in to help battle blaze in western Canada’s popular Jasper National Park
![Smoke rises from a wildfire burning near Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Wednesday. Photo: Jasper National Park via Canadian Press/AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/26/1a3bebed-b172-4e90-b78b-28279b43ec5f_5fc544cf.jpg?itok=CpQAHC8m&v=1721930263)
A fast-moving wildfire in the Canadian Rockies that had prompted 25,000 people to flee roared into the near-deserted town of Jasper overnight with flames higher than treetops, devastating up to half of its structures, officials said on Thursday.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, following a mass evacuation of the picturesque resort and a neighbouring national park earlier in the week, but Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a letter on the town’s website that the wildfire “ravaged our beloved community”.
“The destruction and loss that many you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension, my deepest sympathies go out to each of you,” he said.
Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta province, said from 30 per cent to 50 per cent of the town’s structures are potentially damaged or destroyed, saying “that’s going to be a significant rebuild and significant displacement”.
![Visitors evacuate Jasper National Park in Canada on Monday. Photo: Le Minh Khue via AFP Visitors evacuate Jasper National Park in Canada on Monday. Photo: Le Minh Khue via AFP](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/26/0364f70a-37db-4978-81b4-b9ddf0ee0343_b5cd2a30.jpg)
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