Alberta Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday no definitive timeline has been established for returning to the town.
Days after learning her home was razed by wildfire in Jasper, Rachel Bailey was hit with news her restaurant went up in flames too.
Bailey and other evacuees anxiously awaited news on their homes after the fire reached the Jasper townsite on July 24.
As updates flowed across social media, Bailey’s friend sent her a video of a firefighter documenting the damage on July 25, confirming fears her home had burned down.
“It was hard to see,” Bailey said, fighting back tears. “But at least now I know it’s gone.”
“I just did not think it would get to town. It was laundry day, so I didn’t take any of my clothes.”
The Peacock Cork and Fork — Bailey’s new restaurant founded with Raven Bistro owners — was open for just 40 days.
On July 22, in the middle of dinner service, Bailey received word of the evacuation order. Sending staff and patrons home, Bailey quickly closed the restaurant, leaving it in what she described as an “apocalyptic state.”
When she arrived in Valemount, B.C., with her roommate, ex-partner and dog, there were no beds available. But she said she snagged a mattress on the floor of an under-construction conference room at the Best Western evacuation centre.
After spending two nights in the small town, she decided to drive to Osoyoos, B.C. — about 608 kilometres south of Valemount — where she worked for two years in 2015. There, she has accommodations for the next month until she knows more about Jasper’s re-entry plans.
On July 27, she received news the wildfire had also destroyed her restaurant after receiving a picture from someone on site.
“You can’t do anything but cry and just talk to people in similar situations,” Bailey said.
“The feel of the town — everything is forever changed… I’ll gain clarity of what I’m supposed to do, but I can’t look — I can’t decide on it right now.”
Bailey said she hasn’t looked into any forms of subsidy to rebuild her business as she grapples with her home and livelihood being destroyed.
‘No definitive timeline’
At a press conference on Tuesday, Joe Zatylny, deputy managing director with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said there is currently “no definitive timeline” for re-entry, but they will continue to work with local authorities to provide more clarity.
“Re-entry will only be possible once the wildfire situation in the park becomes more safe… The local incident command team — they’re actively working on a re-entry plan with all agencies, and the team has to ensure that all the community lifelines are up and running,” he said.
On Monday night, the Municipality of Jasper held a town hall to answer resident questions. Bailey said she was told they were trying to get Jasper residents back to town by Aug. 19, but no new details were provided.
The municipality said in a Facebook post the Jasper Emergency Advisory Committee met and agreed to follow this criteria to guide re-entry plans:
• Parks Canada says the wildfire is not currently a threat to the townsite
• Hazards in the townsite have been secured
• Emergency services are restored and can provide a basic level of service
• Critical services (like health care and utilities) are restored
• Critical retail is restored and operational
• A formal re-entry plan has been approved
Out-of-control wildfire
Parks Canada said Tuesday the wildfire remains out of control, and occasional rain has provided some opportunity to fight the fire ahead of drier and more challenging conditions expected into the weekend.
“Crews are working to extinguish wildfire activity adjacent to the town, including in the Pyramid Bench. Other crews are actioning hot spots within the perimeter, including around Jasper Park Lodge and residences at Lake Edith,” Parks Canada said in an update.
Christie Tucker, information unit manager of Alberta Wildfire, said the province has welcomed 100 firefighters from Mexico and 200 from South Africa over the past few days. More are expected in the coming weeks.
“We want to keep firefighters focused on actioning existing wildfires and not responding to new ones.”
Red Cross to provide financial assistance
The Canadian Red Cross announced Tuesday it would be providing $750 to households evacuated from their primary residence in Jasper.
Starting Wednesday, the Red Cross will distribute funds to eligible households that have registered with the organization.
Both the provincial and federal governments will be matching every donation made by Canadians to the 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal between July 25 and Aug. 24, which will go toward assisting those impacted in Jasper and other areas of Alberta.