Imagine planning your dream vacation, getting to your destination, and getting ready to enjoy the local perks only to be awakened in the middle of the night to be told you need to evacuate immediately.
This was the scenario for many tourists and all residents in Jasper faced late Monday evening as rapidly moving wildfires burned towards the townsite of 4,700 residents.
“Everyone in Jasper must evacuate now,” the Alberta government stated in an emergency alert released just after 10 PM.
The Municipality of Jasper declared a state of emergency, initiating a frantic evacuation as fires closed in from multiple directions.
A Night of Turmoil
The fires trapped Jasper in a fiery pincer.
Flames from the northeast blocked the main route to Edmonton via Highway 16, while another blaze to the south shut down the iconic Icefields Parkway.
This left the only escape route on Highway 16 heading west into British Columbia when the evacuation alert was issued a couple of hours before midnight.
The municipality’s original alert gave residents and visitors a mere five hours to leave before the expected arrival of the fire.
That notice had people freaking out; later, the notice was changed to five hours to evacuate.
People grabbed what they could and had to navigate through dark, smoke-filled roads, with the air thick with soot and ash.
Photos and videos on social media showed long lines of bumper-to-bumper traffic inching under a smoke-darkened sky.
Carolyn Campbell, an Edmonton resident, described the harrowing experience as follows: “It’s wall-to-wall traffic. The smoke is pretty thick. We’ve got masks in the car.”
Campbell’s journey out of Jasper took hours to cover just seven kilometres, with the constant fear of running out of gas amidst the chaos.
Stories of Anxiety
Many families faced tremendous stress and uncertainty.
On vacation from Ontario, Stephanie Goertz recounted waking her two young children and hurriedly packing their belongings.
They initially fled west but were redirected east through a fire zone, witnessing roaring flames up close. “It was absolutely shocking. We didn’t realize how close it was to Jasper,” Goertz said. The anxious night left her children too frightened to sleep until 3:30 AM.
Similarly, due to gridlocked streets and heavy smoke, Jessica Jackson and her family took two hours to travel three blocks from their home in Jasper to the highway. “I was getting my kids ready for bed when I saw dark, fresh smoke billowing. Ash was falling, and we knew we had to start packing,” Jackson recalled.
Jackson’s family eventually reached Valemount and spent the night in a friend’s camping trailer, grateful to be safe but exhausted from the ordeal.
Community Response
In British Columbia, officials and communities rallied to support the evacuees.
Valemount’s village hall quickly reached capacity, and local volunteers, including legion president Pete Pearson, opened their doors to provide food and shelter.
“I’ve got about 24 people sleeping on the floor from various countries and a few Jasper locals,” Pearson said, preparing breakfast for the exhausted travellers.
“People were pretty stressed thinking that it was that close and not knowing what you’re driving into because we’ve got fires on all sides.”
Though limited in resources, the village of Valemount worked tirelessly to accommodate as many evacuees as possible.
Anne Yanciw, Valemount’s CEO, mentioned providing water, snacks, and vouchers for lodging and food.
However, the demand was overwhelming, and many had to continue their journey further west to larger centers like Prince George.
Meanwhile, the province of BC has its hands full with its own evacuees. Prince George is already at capacity, so the province of Alberta has set up evacuation centres in Grand Prairie and Calgary. This makes for a long route from Jasper, either north or south through interior BC, to get back into Alberta.
Ongoing Challenges and Efforts
Back in Jasper, town officials and Parks Canada continue to manage multiple logistical challenges, including clearing traffic and arranging accommodations.
Evacuations of campgrounds and facilities within the park have already happened.
Hospitals and long-term care facilities in Jasper have been evacuated, and RCMP officers have been knocking on doors to ensure residents under evacuation have left their homes.
10,000 residents, staff, and guests were evacuated from Jasper, and an estimated 15,000 additional visitors were forced to leave the park.
In total, 17,500 people are on evacuation notice in Alberta due to wildfires.
The wildfires continue to pose a threat, with the closest flames only 12 km from town. As a result, the community remains on high alert, working together to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being.
As the situation remains dynamic, officials urge patience and safety. “This is an evolving emergency situation. Please be patient and be safe,” read a statement from the Municipality of Jasper.
If you are an evacuee, the Province urges you to register immediately.
The Alberta government wants all Albertans to be prepared for the possibility of evacuation by prepping an emergency kit.
The province has been sweltering in plus 30 C for days, sparking many new wildfires. As of July 23, there were 170 active fires, 56 of which were listed as out of control.
The fires in Jasper were deemed to be started by lightning strikes.
