Visitors, campers and residents in Jasper National Park were told to evacuate late Monday night as high temperatures and strong winds caused a growing wildfire threatening the western Alberta national park.
An Alberta Emergency Alert, issued just before 10 p.m. and later updated, said a wildfire was burning south of the town.
Evacuation orders were issued for both downtown Jasper and the rest of the national park.
The alert states that all residents in the City of Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate immediately as the fire is moving towards the area.
The warning initially stated that the fire was expected to reach the community in five hours, around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, but was later updated around 11 p.m. to state that everyone in the community should be evacuated by that time.
It was not immediately clear when the flames would reach the town.
A line of cars waits to leave the town of Jasper as Jasper National Park is evacuated due to wildfires, Monday, July 22, 2024.
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Parks Canada said evacuations will begin at 10 p.m. and continue until 3 a.m. Tuesday.
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Jasper residents were directed to continue west on Highway 16/Yellowhead towards British Columbia.
A line of cars waits to leave the town of Jasper as Jasper National Park is evacuated due to wildfires, Monday, July 22, 2024.
By: Michael Laboucan
511 Alberta said Parks Canada has closed both Highway 16 from east of downtown Jasper to the park gate near Hinton, and Highway 93 Icefields Road between Kirkeslin Campground and Athabasca Falls, due to the fire.
RCMP said eastbound access to Jasper is also closed due to firefighting efforts.
The emergency alert urges people to bring identification, important documents, medications, pets and emergency kits.
For those who need to drive out of Jasper, head to the Activity Centre, Forest Park Hotel or Marine Lodge.
The city of Jasper has also declared a state of emergency due to the wildfires.
Earlier in the evening, Parks Canada said fire crews and the Jasper Fire Department were responding to a wildfire near a transfer station about nine kilometres northeast of downtown Jasper.
Anyone heading west towards BC will have to detour.
RCMP said motorists should detour north on Highway 40 through Grande Prairie or south on Highway 1 through Banff. If you’re travelling from British Columbia to Alberta, you should currently detour south on Highway 1 or north on Highway 2.
— This is breaking news. More to come…
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