Historic Ski Town Jasper Severely Damaged By Forest Fire
Large parts of the historic ski town of Jasper in Alberta are reported to have been destroyed by a fast-moving forest fire, started by a lightning strike.
Large parts of the historic ski town of Jasper in Alberta are reported to have been destroyed by a fast-moving forest fire, started by a lightning strike, which is reported to have moved 5km (3 miles) to reach Jasper in only half-an-hour with flames up to 100 metres (328 feet) high. Up to half of the town has been destroyed, local officials have said.
The fire is reported to be covering 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres) so far and is yet to be brought under control. Strong winds and the intensity of the blaze have made it harder to battle the fire. However Jasper National Park reported recently that,
“Temperatures cooled and rain started shortly after midnight last night. The 10-15 mm of rainfall in the national park has led to minimal fire behaviour and spread today. This precipitation will likely keep fire behaviour low for the next 72 hours.”
Late on Friday Marmot Basin ski area, which is located about 12km/8 miles south of Jasper as the crow flies, issued a statement saying.
"We know many are wondering about the status of Marmot Basin. At this time assessment is still ongoing as to what, if any, damage the mountain has sustained. We are working with our partners at Parks Canada to better understand the status of our mountain. Recent mapping detailed the balance of the fire to be below our leasehold. We will provide updates as information becomes available."
The centre is reported to have been evacuated and its webcam is offline because of the fire.
Update 28 July: Marmot Basin has confirmed it did not suffer fire damage and plans to operate as normal this coming winter 24-25
Elsewhere in Western Canada, Kicking Horse ski resort just over the BC border from Alberta has shut down summer operations for the past few days due to the threat from a wildfire in the region, however. There’s been a small fire in Banff National Park but Sunshine and Lake Louise are reported not to be affected. There are thousands more forest fires burning across Western North America.
