Commercial traffic was allowed to pass through the park starting a 5 a.m. on Thursday
Crews in Jasper continue to battle hot spots Thursday as the massive fire nearby continues to rage out of control, with temperatures forecast to steadily rise into the weekend.
“Fire activity is anticipated to increase during the peak burning period in the afternoon,” an update from Parks Canada reads, listing the size of the fire as 32,500 hectares.
“We are entering a period of hotter drier weather, and the fire is anticipated to become more dynamic.”
Midday temperatures in Jasper were around 21 C though those were expected to rise throughout the day to a high of 30 C, with a high of 32 C forecast for Friday by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The department expects temperatures to remain near 30 C through Saturday and Sunday, with showers forecast for late Sunday and throughout Monday.
“Weather like this, increasing temps, decreasing humidity, and a forecast of increasing winds are all prescriptions for fanning the flames,” said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.
“It will happen.”
Crews continue to maintain sprinkler systems that have bene installed on buildings within the townsite as well as a 30 centimetre-high volume sprinkler system in the community’s north.
Power has been restored to the downtown core, while work continues on pressurizing water lines.
‘Part of the healing journey’
In an update midday Thursday, the Municipality of Jasper said a plan has been approved to allow residents to see the townsite in buses.
“You are not required to go on one of these bus visits,” reads the municipality’s statement.
“However, we have heard from residents that for some, this will provide some comfort as they process very deep grief and loss.”
“It is jarring. But, it is also part of the healing journey that we will all have to go through.”
Ireland said the timing of the tours was contingent on weather and the state of the wildfire.
“There is still fire on the landscape. We can only let people return when it is safe for them and safe for the people still on the ground responding to the wildfire.”
Seniors to return to Alberta, commercial traffic resumes
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said around 40 seniors who had been staying in Valemount, B.C. since the evacuation order are set to return to Alberta Friday.
The group includes 18 continuing-care patients and 10 patients from the province’s lodge system. They’ll be bused through Jasper National Park to Hinton where they’ll be connected with services.
Two of Jasper’s three senior-care facilities survived the fire, Nixon said, though their conditions remain to be determined.
Commercial vehicles were allowed to travel through Jasper National Park via Highway 16 starting at 5 a.m. Thursday.
Passage is restricted to commercial vehicles — defined as trucks, tractors, or trailers with a registered weight exceeding 11,794 kilograms — and is enforced by RCMP checkpoints.
Access is limited to three windows: between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., though Parks Canada notes those could change depending on the fire.
It adds the time blocks allow it to more efficiently move its crews and equipment along the highway.
“The fire behaviour is reduced enough we can safely move traffic through. That may switch as it gets hotter and drier,” said Dean MacDonald, a Parks Canada incident commander.
“We don’t want anyone on the road overnight. We can’t secure safety.”