An out-of-control wildfire has destroyed much of the Canadian tourist town of Jasper in the Rocky Mountains, Canadian authorities confirmed today, while firefighters in northern California in the United States are battling a raging blaze.
Danielle Smith, the head of the provincial government of Alberta, where Jasper National Park and the town of the same name are located, tearfully assured during a press conference that the town would recover.
"The magic has not been lost and will never be lost. The Alberta government will provide the necessary support for families and communities to recover and rebuild stronger, so that future generations can continue to experience this unique community," she stressed, quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Images on social media show the streets of Jasper desolate, with all the buildings reduced to piles of ash.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed this morning that he has authorized the deployment of military personnel to Alberta to help fight the 176 fires (54 of which are out of control) currently burning in the province, following Smith’s request on Wednesday night.
Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s natural gems and one of its top tourist attractions. Last year, the park, located in the northern part of the Canadian Rockies, welcomed 2.48 million visitors.
On Monday night, Canadian authorities unexpectedly ordered the evacuation of the town in the heart of the park after shifting winds pushed two wildfires toward the town, which is home to about 10,000 people during the summer.
Jasper’s 10,000 residents, along with about 25,000 tourists, were evacuated on Tuesday, although Canadian authorities fear that people may still be camping inside the park and have not been ordered to evacuate. Western Canada is facing a wave of high temperatures that is fueling hundreds of wildfires. British Columbia and Alberta alone had 555 active fires on Tuesday. There are 983 active wildfires burning across the country, of which 410 are out of control. So far this year, the area burned in the country is 2.4 million hectares. Last year, Canada suffered its worst wildfire season in history. Thousands of wildfires burned 17 million hectares of land, about 170,000 square kilometres. In the United States, California firefighters were battling a violent wildfire that is spreading rapidly in northern California today, according to local authorities.
The "Park Fire" broke out Wednesday night, the last day of a new heat wave affecting the region. In the space of one night, it has already devastated more than 180 square kilometers and forced the evacuation of "more than 3,500 people", according to a statement from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The flames are particularly threatening the small town of Chico, about a three-hour drive north of San Francisco.
More than 1,150 firefighters are mobilized against the fire, which is currently only 3% contained, according to the CalFire agency.
This wildfire revives bad memories in California: Chico is located just about twenty kilometers from Paradise, a town that was destroyed by a violent fire in 2018 and where 85 people died.
The western United States has experienced several heat waves since early June, and dozens of wildfires are currently burning across the region.
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