OTTAWA: Steady rain is helping firefighters working to contain a massive wildfire that has devastated parts of the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper, authorities said on Friday.

Jasper is in the middle of mountainous Jasper National Park in the province of Alberta. A huge fast-moving fire has damaged or destroyed up to half the town’s structures.

Parks Canada said bet­w­een 10 mm and 15 mm of rain had fallen on Thurs­day. “This precipitation will likely keep fire behaviour low for the next 72 hours,” it said in a statement.

“Crews will take advantage of this time to make as much progress as possible to suppress the wildfire and reduce further spread. While rain in Jasper is a welcome sight, warm wea­ther is forecast and will increase wildfire activity.”

Authorities have so far declined to give specific details of how many buildings were lost in Jasper, which normally has a population of around 5,000. Video posted to social media showed entire blocks had been burned to the ground.

The town and park, which draw more than 2 million tourists a year to this area of the Rocky Mountains, were evacuated on Monday, when officials estimated there were up to 10,000 people in the town and a further 15,000 visitors in the park.

Late on Thursday, authorities said crews had managed to protect all of Jasper’s critical infrastructure. This included the hospital, schools and a wastewater treatment plant.

The Jasper Park Lodge, one of the largest hotels in town, said it had suffered some damage but most structures remained standing and intact. The 400-room residence is run by Fairmont, a group owned by France’s Accor.

The Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which can carry 890,000 barrels per day of oil from Edmonton to Vancouver, runs through the park. The operator said on Thursday there were no signs of damage.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024