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Jasper residents allowed to return home on Friday, visitors urged to keep their
distance for now | CBC News Loaded
Edmonton


JASPER RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME ON FRIDAY, VISITORS URGED TO KEEP THEIR
DISTANCE FOR NOW

As officials announced the date during a Monday news conference, they cautioned
residents that the homecoming will be the start of a daunting ordeal.


BLANKET RE-ENTRY THE MOST EXPEDIENT WAY TO GET RESIDENTS HOME SO REBUILD CAN
BEGIN

Wallis Snowdon · CBC News · Posted: Aug 12, 2024 9:44 AM EDT | Last Updated:
August 13

A devastated residential neighbourhood in Jasper, Alta., on Friday July 26,
2024. Wildfires encroaching into the townsite of Jasper forced an evacuation of
the national park and have destroyed over 300 of the town's approximately 1,100
structures. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press)


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Three weeks since a wildfire forced a mass evacuation of Jasper National Park,
thousands of people forced from their homes will be allowed to return to the
town on Friday.

As officials announced the date during a Monday news conference, they cautioned
that not everyone will want — or be able — to stay in the community, while
warning the homecoming will be the start of a daunting ordeal.

"Re-entry into the municipality will pose challenges to those who have lost
their homes, businesses and treasured places," said Jonathan Large, incident
commander with Parks Canada, during the joint news conference with the
municipality about re-entry plans.

"We hope that this first step brings some hope to the community." 

All residents and business owners will be allowed to enter the park starting at
7 a.m. Friday morning when Highway 16, the highway running east to west through
the national park, opens for the day. 


'RECONNAISSANCE MISSION'

Residents were warned that accommodations and services in the town would
be limited and even the homes that weren't damaged may not be habitable.

"It's more about a reconnaissance mission almost, if you will, to go see what's
there,"  said Christine Nadon, incident commander with the municipality of
Jasper. 

"You might be able to stay, but you might not. And for anyone who has a house on
the west side, there's a greater chance of internal damage to the property."

Residents can choose to move back to the community but should not assume they
will want to spend the night, even if their properties are intact, she said.

Many buildings that remain standing in the hardest hit areas of the townsite
were severely damaged by the smoke and flames, she said.

WATCH | Some homes will have smoke or water damage:


JASPER RESIDENTS SET TO RETURN AS TOURISTS URGED TO STAY AWAY


7 days ago
Duration 2:35
Thousands of wildfire evacuees from Jasper will be able to return to the
community on Friday, but visitors are being urged to stay away for now.

Nadon said everyone can come back at once but there are no resources or
accommodations in place for people who lost their homes.  

She encouraged people to use their first hours and days in the community to
assess the damages and plan for any necessary repairs and insurance claims. She
urged people to wait a few days before coming into town, if possible. 

"You can't count on spending your first night in Jasper," Nadon said.

"If there is a home standing, there could be significant damage on the inside
... and for those who don't have homes anymore, they are welcome to come and
look at the site but obviously should plan to stay somewhere else."

Emergency services have been restored and critical services are in the final
stages of being set up. Officials are still working to establish critical retail
services, including gas and grocery stores. 

Water, power and natural gas services to damaged areas remain spotty, retail and
fuel services are limited, and health-care services will be limited to the local
emergency room and EMS, officials said.

Returning residents will need to be prepared to be as self-sufficient as
possible, they added.

"Whether it's habitable or not is up for them to determine," Nadon said of
returning residents. "All we're saying is, there is no risk to public safety so
we're not going to keep them away from their properties."  

A re-entry guide, published Monday by the municipality, details some common
challenges that will await returning residents including homes soiled with
hazardous soot and mould, rooms polluted by smoke and ash, and rancid fridges
filled with spoiled food.  

In hardest-hit neighbourhoods, services are especially limited. Gas service has
not been restored to all homes, while water may not be potable or may not be
available at all, Nadon said.

On Monday afternoon, emergency officials acknowledged concerns that the blanket
re-entry doesn't exclude non-residents. 

Nadon said re-entry would have been delayed by weeks if it had included checking
the identification of each person coming into the community. The process is
complicated by the fact that addresses in the park are tied to P.O. boxes
instead of individual street addresses, she said.

RCMP will be patrolling the streets to ensure security is maintained in all
areas of the community, she said. 

WATCH | Highway through Jasper reopened to the public: 


HIGHWAY THROUGH JASPER REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC


10 days ago
Duration 2:45
Highway 16 through Jasper National Park has reopened to the public for limited
hours each day. CBC’s Travis McEwan takes us on a drive to see what you can
expect journeying through the Rocky Mountains after the wildfire.

A state of emergency within the municipality remains in effect. The evacuation
order in effect throughout the park will likely be downgraded to an evacuation
alert and residents who return need to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice
if the risk of the flames flares once again, officials said. 

There is no restriction preventing visitors from entering the park but
campground, trails and day-use areas will remain closed for the time being.

Officials have cautioned that a return will ultimately hinge on the activity of
the wildfire, which remains volatile and will continue to burn for months.

On Monday, Parks Canada confirmed the wildfire is no longer an imminent threat
to the townsite but added it will take time for the national park to be fully
accessible. Risks include ash pits, reduced air quality, damaged trees and
hazardous waste, officials said. 

 * The Jasper wildfire is the worst to hit the national park in more than a
   century. Here's what we know

 * Jasper residents survey the damage as tours of wildfire-ravaged neighourhoods
   continue

As residents begin to sift through the ashes, tourists are being urged to give
the community time. 

"I would suggest for any visitors who are interested in coming, maybe give
Jasper residents and businesses a few days to see the damages for themselves and
give them a chance to re-establish their service levels," Nadon said. 

Efforts are underway to reconnect park visitors with personal items, including
travel trailers and camping gear, that were left behind during the evacuation.

Evacuation orders were issued July 22 at about 10 p.m. as the flames from fires
burning to the north and south of Jasper moved dangerously close to the
townsite.

Within hours, 20,000 visitors and 5,000 town residents were forced out of the
national park.  

Less than 48 hours later, the flames from the south fire moved into the
townsite, eventually merging with the northern fire. 

About one-third of the buildings in the townsite — 358 of 1,113 total
structures — were destroyed. While entire streets were razed, buildings housing
key infrastructure including the hospital and water treatment plant, were
saved. 

 * LISTEN
   How to rebuild a community following the destruction of a wildfire

 * Alberta's Icefields Parkway, Highway 16 to partially re-open following
   wildfire closure

As of Monday, the northwest end of the fire — the portion of the blaze that
poses the greatest threat to the community — is now considered 99 per
cent contained or controlled, up from 89 per cent contained the day before.

The fire that devastated Jasper is part of a cluster of fires still burning out
of control in the national park. It now spans 33,000 hectares, but recent rain
and cooler temperatures have helped crews tame the most dangerous parts of the
blaze.

Work in reconnecting essential services to gas, water and electricity
progresses, restoration of residential services could take up to three weeks or
more, Parks Canada said. 

Information sessions are being organized to help residents navigate some of the
logistical challenges of re-entry, following their return, the agency said. 

WATCH | Jasper evacuees survey the damage following wildfire: 


TOURS OF JASPER OFFER RESIDENTS FIRST GLIMPSE OF WILDFIRE DAMAGE


12 days ago
Duration 2:00
Longtime Jasper resident Stephen Nelson captured this video during a bus tour
through the devastated historic townsite. The tours are being offered to
residents as plans for re-entry ramp up and the fight against the wildfire
continues.

Mayor Richard Ireland — who lost his own home to the wildfire — expressed relief
and gratitude that 22 days after evacuation orders were issued, residents are
returning home. 

Ireland thanked first responders and firefighters for their resolve in fighting
the fire, and residents for their resolve as they face the daunting task of
rebuilding. 

He emphasized that Friday's re-entry plan is meant to address the needs of
residents and is not an open invitation to visitors.

For now, the rebuild must take precedence over the tourism sector that will
ultimately help the community recover, he said. 

"We expect that visitors will understand the need for our residents to have time
and space to see their homes," he told reporters Monday. 

"Even though we acknowledge that we will need visitors back in our town to help
us recover, right now, the services are not available … our residents need a
functioning economy and it will come, but not Friday." 

 * Tourism sector asking governments to help Jasper businesses

 * CBC Explains
   As donations flow in to help Jasper, what do Canadians need to know?

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|Report error



RELATED STORIES

 * Only townsite residents to be allowed re-entry into Jasper National Park on
   Friday
 * Jasper residents return to wildfire-ravaged townsite as re-entry begins
 * Anxiety, relief as Jasper residents prepare for return to wildfire-ravaged
   mountain town
 * Jasper residents will soon get bus tours of destroyed properties
 * Jasper, Alta., residents feel mix of emotions after returning home for 1st
   time

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