About One-Third of Historic Canadian Town Lost to Wildfires – Albertan Premier
© AFP 2023 / Handout/Jasper National ParkIn this July 24, 2024, image obtained from the Jasper National Park in Canada, smoke rises from a wildfire burning in the park. The "out of control" wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said July 25, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze.
![In this July 24, 2024, image obtained from the Jasper National Park in Canada, smoke rises from a wildfire burning in the park. The out of control wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said July 25, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze. In this July 24, 2024, image obtained from the Jasper National Park in Canada, smoke rises from a wildfire burning in the park. The out of control wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said July 25, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze. - Sputnik International, 1920, 26.07.2024](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119525937_31:0:3672:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_037bcfb398228a3632007f7ae472ee6a.jpg)
© AFP 2023 / Handout/Jasper National Park
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Preliminary data shows that about a third of the historic Canadian town of Jasper has been destroyed by raging wildfires, the Prime Minister of the Province of Alberta Danielle Smith said on Friday.
Smith made the remarks during a joint press conference with Canadian Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan and Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, among others.
“Although more time is needed to complete a detailed assessment of the damage, it is clear, sadly, that many homes and some businesses have been lost. Our preliminary observation shows that about 33% of Jasper townsite endured total or partial structural loss,” Smith said during a press conference.
She noted, however, that all major infrastructure, including the hospital emergency service building, schools, the activity center and the wastewater treatment facility, have been protected from the wildfires.
Some photos from inside Jasper taken this morning by crew members from Woodlands County. pic.twitter.com/mRb4hgNybZ
— Adam MacVicar (@AdamMacVicar) July 25, 2024
The fire continues to rage in the community, Ireland said, adding that the first priority remains the protection of those who stayed behind to protect the township from the wildfires.
Sajjan said 175 wildfires were active within Alberta, having burnt 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) of land. An estimated total of 17,000 people have fled their homes.
On Tuesday, citizens of Jasper Township and the individuals at the Jasper National Park were ordered to evacuate the region towards neighboring British Columbia due to the looming threat of wildfires.