Tourist Town Jasper Faces Devastation as Wildfire Rages On

A devastating wildfire has ravaged Jasper, Alberta, destroying about a third of the tourist town. Despite rain and cooler temperatures helping suppress some fire activity, the blaze remains out of control. Thousands of residents and visitors have been evacuated, and critical infrastructure has been protected.

A massive wildfire that razed about a third of Jasper, a western Canadian tourist town, remains uncontrolled, but rain and cooler conditions are aiding firefighters, authorities reported on Friday. Situated in Alberta's Jasper National Park, a major tourist hub, the town and park—drawing over 2 million annual visitors—were evacuated on Monday.

Alberta premier Danielle Smith noted, "Rain and cooler temperatures and the incredibly hard work of firefighters have resulted in fire activity that is significantly subdued." She added, "It is important to note that the fire is still out of control, and it remains unsafe for people to return."

Parks Canada reported between 10 mm and 15 mm of rain by Thursday, likely keeping fire behavior low into the weekend. Of Jasper's 1,113 structures, 358—or over 32%—were destroyed. Evacuee David Leoni told CTV television his family lost the house they lived in for 10 years, expressing ongoing shock.

CN Rail resumed movement through Jasper National Park after the fire halted operations. With up to 10,000 evacuees in the town and 15,000 in the park, officials managed to protect critical infrastructure like the hospital and schools. Jasper Park Lodge, operated by Fairmont, sustained minor damage. The Trans Mountain oil pipeline was undisrupted. The federal government warned in April of a catastrophic wildfire season due to high temperatures and dry forests. This fire could be Alberta's most damaging since the 2016 Fort McMurray blaze.

(With inputs from agencies.)