“There’s a few blocks that are just nothing,” Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) firefighter, Roy Penner
At roughly noon on Thursday, Edmonton firefighters pulled out of the Town of Jasper after fighting the blaze through the night.
Visibly exhausted from a night of work, which started with a hasty drive to Jasper National Park, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) firefighter, Roy Penner, estimated that a third of the town had structural damage from the fire. Of that third, he projected about half was gone.
“There’s a few blocks that are just nothing,” said Penner.
As the situation in the Town of Jasper worsened on Wednesday night, wildland fire crews and any other personnel without self-contained breathing apparatuses had to evacuate, at which time more structural firefighters moved in. The structural firefighters from municipalities across the province were deployed within the townsite to try to preserve as much of the community as possible, including critical infrastructure.
Penner and 14 other EFRS crews arrived on scene yesterday evening. He said the crew worked hard and figured that most of the fire within the site had eased with the exception of a couple of hot spots when speaking at noon on Thursday.
Penner and his crew are getting some well-earned rest while other Edmonton firefighters are en route to switch out with them.
“We’re just tired,” said Penner.
More to come.