It’s been two weeks since a mega wildfire swept through Jasper National Park, burning over 34,000 hectares and destroying nearly 30% of the townsite of Jasper.
The fire is still active in the park and considered ‘out-of-control,” with firefighters working hard to suppress active burn areas.
Parks Canada is in for a long battle with the Jasper Wildfire Complex, which it says could rage on until November.
The townsite remains unsafe, with crews restoring critical infrastructure and cleaning dangerous debris.
Neither the province nor the municipality have announced when evacuees will be able to return to the town of 5000 residents.
Jasper Mayor, Richard Ireland noted that work was progressing on re-entry, with over 40 sub-plans in various stages of implementation.
But for tourists a visit to the Jasper townsite won’t be possible to visit for the foreseeable future.
For those tourists who have booked campgrounds, hotels and adventures outside of the Jasper townsite here is the latest information on what’s happening in Jasper National Park.
Highways
Highway 16, which runs through Jasper west to BC, will open to all traffic on Friday, August 9, provided conditions allow.
The highway will open to all east and westbound traffic daily from 7 AM to 9 PM.
No stopping is allowed for those travelling on Highway 16, and all washrooms, trails, accommodations, and facilities remain closed.
Enhanced patrols by Peace Officers will ensure travel restrictions are followed.
All other roads and highways in Jasper National Park remain closed, including the Maligne Lake Road and the Icefields Parkway south of Jasper to the Columbia Icefields.
For the latest updates on highway closures, check Alberta 511
Attractions
According to Parks Canada, the iconic Icefields Parkway, which runs through the Columba Icefields in Jasper National Park, will reopen on Friday, August 9.
The southern section of the Parkway, starting from Lake Louise and continuing north to the Columbia Icefields, will be open for visitation.
The Parkway will remain closed north of the Icefields to the Jasper townsite.
All trails, accommodations, and facilities north of the Icefields Parkway remain closed until further notice.
Campgrounds
On July 22, all the campgrounds in Jasper National Park were evacuated, and many campers left behind their trailers and tents as they rushed to leave the park.
All of this property needs to be retrieved.
Parks Canada announced that it will soon contact campers regarding the state of their trailers and personal belongings left behind during the evacuation.
Campers will receive instructions on how to retrieve their items or may be asked to authorize the disposal of irreparably damaged items.
Some campgrounds escaped unscathed, while others, like Whistlers, Wapiti, Whirlpool Group and Wabasso campgrounds, sustained significant damage.
The agency is actively photographing each campsite and continues to conduct thorough assessments of its facilities.
Visitors who left behind medication or essential documents in their campers or at hotel rooms can contact Jasper Bylaw at 780-852-5518 or by email at bylaw@jasper-alberta.ca
So until the campgrounds are cleared and deemed safe, all campgrounds in Jasper remain closed.
Accomodations
No accommodations are available in Jasper National Park at this time, so unless you are just doing a day visit to the southern part of the Icefields Parkway accessible through Banff National Park, at this point, it makes no sense to try and book a stay, adventure, or hike in Jasper National Park.
If you want to stay informed about all the updates on everything, Jasper, be sure to follow the Parks Canada Jasper Facebook page or watch for updates here at The Rockies.Life.
