A wildfire in Jasper National Park has led to an evacuation order for the park and the Municipality of Jasper.
The fire is located south of town, according to Alberta Emergency Alert in a message published on social media late Monday night.
“Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate now,” the alert said. “Use Highway 16 towards British Columbia. Follow directions from local authorities. Bring identification, important documents, medication, pets and your emergency kit with you.”
Alberta Emergency Alert also corrected an earlier statement suggesting fire would reach the town overnight.
“The fire is NOT expected to reach the community in 5 hours,” it said in a statement issued shortly after 11 p.m. “The town should be evacuated in 5 hours.”
RCMP said earlier Monday night that with Municipality of Jasper is impacted by wildfires in the area, Highway 16 will be closed for westbound travel at the Jasper Park gates, on the east side.
Eastbound access to Jasper will also be blocked, and Highway 93 along Athabasca River is also closed.
Parks Canada said previously that its fire crews and the Jasper Fire Department were responding to another wildfire around the town’s transfer station, located approximately nine kilometres northeast of the Jasper townsite.
RCMP are advising that travel is not recommended west of Hinton, Alta.
“Please avoid the Jasper National Park area along Highway 16 and allow First Responders to do their jobs safely,” RCMP said in a news release.
Parks Canada said in a Facebook post that evacuations have taken place at numerous campgrounds, as well as the Athabasca Hostel and the Palisades Stewardship and Education Centre.
“Parks Canada is responding to multiple wildfire starts. This is an evolving and dynamic situation,” the agency said in the post.
About 7,500 people in Alberta were under evacuation orders Monday.
The three communities that make up Little Red River Cree Nation — John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River — remain under evacuation order as the out-of-control Semo Wildfire Complex burns nearby. It’s estimated to be more than 960 square kilometres in size.
“The next 48 hours is pretty critical,” Chief Conroy Sewepagaham said in a video update on Facebook.
“The dozer groups are going to be working 24-7. They’re going to do whatever they can to extend Highway 58 towards High Level, and extending the northern portion of the highway going into Garden River.”
Alberta Wildfire said the nearby blaze had reached Highway 58, the only road out of Garden River, and was 13 kilometres northwest of the community itself as of Monday afternoon.
Residents of the northern communities of Chipewyan Lake and Janvier 194 have also been ordered to leave.
However, there’s so much smoke that wildfires are being shaded from the sun and daytime temperature highs in some areas are cooler than forecast, leading to reduced fire activity.
Environment Canada said cooler temperatures were expected to start moving into northwestern parts of the province starting Monday night, though hot conditions may persist through much of the week farther south.
— With files from Postmedia