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.
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.