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Fire crews in Jasper, Alberta, have made significant progress in extinguishing a wildfire that has burned nearly 30 per cent of the town. Thanks to those efforts, Jasper’s mayor says residents will learn on Monday when they can return to their homes.
“Reentry criteria are being achieved at a faster pace. Getting residents back to their homes safely has been and will continue to be the primary goal of the incident management team,” Mayor Richard Ireland said.
Ireland said at a news conference Saturday morning that specific time and date details have not yet been finalized, but members of the joint command will share that information on Monday.
“My hope is that the upcoming announcement will provide a bridge and a degree of comfort for those who are anxious and eager to know when they can return home. On Monday, they will know,” Ireland said.
While the fire is still classified as out of control, the northern edge of the fire, which threatens towns, is now 80 per cent contained. The fire has now spread over about 33,000 hectares.
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Parks Canada said crews are working to eliminate hazards and reconnect utilities in Jasper.
“We’re moving away from reactive measures to more proactive measures, strengthening some of our lines of defence,” said Jonathan Large, incident commander with Parks Canada.
“Sometimes we can go in and clear some of the vegetation that’s grown up. A lot of that is happening right now in parallel with the suppression efforts we’re doing. I think the town is in great shape.”
There is still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen in Jasper in the coming months.
The Greater Yellowhead Public School District (GYPSD) is updating parents on the upcoming school year, as many of its students are scattered across the province.
“Children displaced by the wildfires can attend any school in Alberta, they can enroll in any school in Alberta. If the school has the resources and the space, they will take those children,” said Dale Karpluk, chair of the GYPSD board of directors. “This is hard on kids. Schools are welcoming and safe places that we want our kids to be.”
Kaplak said schools in Edson and Hinton are preparing to welcome Jasper’s children. However, teachers will face difficulties when they return to the classroom in the fall.
“About 40 percent of our school staff is homeless. The elementary school principal told me five of his staff are homeless. I spoke to the middle school principal and seven of the 12 staff are homeless,” Kaprak said.
“The number of students may be smaller at first, but I know some of the faculty and staff in Jasper who didn’t lose their homes are ready to take on the challenge.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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