Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Calgary officials send crews to Jasper fire, explain why evacuation centre shuttered

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jul, 2024 10:25 AM
  • Calgary officials send crews to Jasper fire, explain why evacuation centre shuttered

Calgary emergency officials say they’re sending crews to help the Jasper wildfire while explaining why they briefly shuttered their evacuation centre just as the fire roared into the townsite and started burning structures.

Sue Henry, the head of Calgary’s emergency services, said 19 Calgary crews were headed north to the fire scene.

Calgary is one of two evacuation centres set up to handle those fleeing the fires in Jasper National Park, with the other in Grande Prairie.

Henry said the decision was made Wednesday night to close the evacuation centre at 5 p.m., noting no evacuees had come in the night prior.

She said it was closed for about 20 minutes.

She said when more evacuees began arriving, staff immediately pivoted and reopened the centre and processed 85 people overnight.

The centre provides services such as finding hotel rooms for those displaced.

“The gap in services was very, very short,” Henry told reporters at a news briefing Thursday morning.

“It’s very, very difficult to predict when people were going to be around.”

Calgary, along with fire crews from Edmonton and Sherwood Park said they were sending resources to the fire scene.

The province has asked for help from the Canadian Armed Forces, and the federal government has said aid is on the way.

The staging area was the town of Hinton, on the eastern outskirts of Jasper National Park.

In Hinton Thursday morning, rain fell and wood smoke hung in the air at the roadblock preventing vehicles from entering the park. Five officials in bright neon yellow vests directed traffic at the roadblock. The only vehicle that was seen going through was a fire truck.

On social media, people shared Thursday-morning video of rain-slicked streets in Jasper and grey-black structures razed to charred foundations.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and other officials were set to update the situation Thursday morning.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, in an open letter to residents, urged them to stay strong.

“I write to you today with profound sorrow as we begin to come to terms with the devastating impact of last night’s wildfire that has ravaged our beloved community,” Ireland wrote.

“The destruction and loss that many of you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension.

“Your resilience and strength have always been the backbone of our community. In the coming days and weeks, we will rally together, support one another, and begin the daunting process of recovery.”

About 25,000 people, including about 5,000 residents in the Jasper townsite, were forced to flee west at a moment’s notice late Monday night as twin wildfires from the south and north roared up and cut off access to the east and south.

A day later they were directed to loop back to Alberta as British Columbia, dealing with its own fires, did not have the capacity to assist.

On Wednesday, efforts to contain the fires -- include buckets and fire guards and a last-ditch effort to burn a path from the southern fire to the river and highway -- were foiled by raging, gusting winds.

After 6 p.m. Wednesday, the fire roared in and began torching structures.

Jasper, a postcard-perfect mountain town, is famous for hiking, skiing, kayaking and biking. It is also home to dozens of species such as elk, mountain goats, cougars, lynx, black bears and grizzly bears. The United Nations designated the parks that make up the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, a World Heritage Site in 1984.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. homes and businesses to be eligible for rebates for rooftop solar systems

B.C. homes and businesses to be eligible for rebates for rooftop solar systems
British Columbia's public power utility says for the first time it will provide rebates for the installation of rooftop solar and battery storage systems for residents and businesses.  BC Hydro says in a news release that eligible homeowners can receive rebates up to $10,000 for installing a qualified solar and battery storage system, while apartment buildings, schools, businesses and others could get from $50,000 to $150,000 back. 

B.C. homes and businesses to be eligible for rebates for rooftop solar systems

Higher share of foreign workers became permanent residents in recent years: StatCan

Higher share of foreign workers became permanent residents in recent years: StatCan
Foreign workers have been making the transition to permanent residency at higher rates in recent years, Statistics Canada says. A new report from the federal agency shows that between 2016 and 2020, 23 per cent of foreign workers had become permanent residents two years after obtaining their first work permits.

Higher share of foreign workers became permanent residents in recent years: StatCan

Major Calgary corridor closed due to water rupture three weeks ago set to reopen

Major Calgary corridor closed due to water rupture three weeks ago set to reopen
Commuter traffic is returning to normal in Calgary following a major water main break three weeks ago. Calgary's mayor says the avenue above the repaired water main is set to reopen Friday.

Major Calgary corridor closed due to water rupture three weeks ago set to reopen

Unprovoked spat on female

Unprovoked spat on female
Coquitlam R-C-M-P say they are looking for a man who spat unprovoked at another pedestrian before fleeing. Police say the assault happened while the victim, a female pedestrian, was walking on a sidewalk in the early evening hours near Coquitlam Centre when she was spat on.

Unprovoked spat on female

Abbotsford Police impound 42 vehicles

Abbotsford Police impound 42 vehicles
Abbotsford police say officers impounded 42 vehicles in a 48-hour period last week during a campaign targeting speeding drivers in the city. Police say officers were monitoring high-traffic corridors during the enforcement, and each driver caught speeding was issued a ticket and had their vehicle impounded for 7 days.

Abbotsford Police impound 42 vehicles

Food service workers walk off the job at Vancouver airport for 'one-day strike'

Food service workers walk off the job at Vancouver airport for 'one-day strike'
The union representing food service workers at Vancouver International Airport says more than 200 have walked off the job to push for higher wages. A statement from Unite Here Local 40 says the workers are employed by SSP America, which operates more than a dozen food outlets at the airport.

Food service workers walk off the job at Vancouver airport for 'one-day strike'