Famed national park evacuated in Canada as fires threaten the area

By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist

(CNN) — Dangerous wildfires forced a town and a major national park in Canada’s Alberta province to evacuate overnight Monday.

Evacuation orders were issued around 10 p.m. for “everyone” in Jasper and Jasper National Park, according to the province’s emergency alert system. On Tuesday evening, the park said on Facebook the evacuation of the town was complete.

Authorities were still trying to evacuate backcountry hikers, the post added.

“If you have not yet evacuated town you must leave now,” the park said on Wednesday. “This is for your own safety and to allow these critical operations to protect the town of Jasper to continue unimpeded.”

At least two fires are burning in Jasper National Park, which was closed Tuesday. Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s most popular parks and drew in nearly 2.5 million visitors last year, according to Parks Canada.

The city has a population of around 4,100 and there were an estimated 10,000 people, including seasonal workers, in Jasper and 15,000 park visitors when the evacuation was ordered, Stephen Lacroix with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency told The Associated Press. Police officers were going to each residence to enforce the order to leave, Lacroix said.

One fire was 6,750 hectares (16,679 acres) while the other fire was 270 hectares (667 acres), according the park’s Facebook post.

“At this time, returning to Jasper is not possible,” park officials said on Facebook, responding to people inquiring about going back for their belongings. “The Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park remain closed, and it is crucial to comply with the evacuation order.”

Evacuees had fled in darkness Monday with little time to prepare.

The early stages of the evacuation were complicated by the location of the fires, which forced most of the traffic west toward British Columbia on the region’s Highway 16. By the earliest hours of Tuesday morning, some traffic was allowed to travel east.

“Only when roadside fire conditions permit, small groups of escorted vehicles will be directed east on Highway 16,” an emergency alert stated.

Officials in neighboring British Columbia mobilized quickly to support evacuees.

“BC communities large and small along (evacuation) routes are doing what we can to get gas stations open, direct folks to rest areas, open welcome centres, and provide support,” Bowinn Ma, British Columbia Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, posted on social media early Tuesday morning.

The wildfires are some of the at least 170 fires burning in Alberta province amid worsening fire activity in recent days.

Canada raised the country’s national preparedness level for wildfires to the highest level last Monday. This means the “potential for emerging significant wildland fires is high to extreme,” according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Firefighters were hoping Tuesday for downpours in the Jasper evacuation zone as any wet weather could help control fire spread. But forecasters also said there would be breezy conditions – which might cause fire behavior to become erratic at times.

Wednesday’s intense fire activity and strong winds forced first responders to relocate to Hinton, an Alberta town about an hour’s drive from Jasper, a Facebook post from Jasper National Park said. Firefighters and a small group of staff will remain in Jasper in an effort to protect residents, the post said.

“This decision has not been made lightly,” the park said. “Given the intensity of fire behaviour being observed the decision has been made to limit the number of responders exposed to this risk.”

Widespread showers are expected to arrive Thursday morning and steady rain is forecast by the evening. Depending on exactly how the fires behave early this week, fire crews may be able to make notable containment progress Thursday.

Wildfires have burned more than 5 million acres in Canada this year, which is right around average for late July. Despite millions of acres burned, this year’s fire season is pacing well below last year’s record-breaking, devastating season.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller and CNN’s Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

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