Earth Science News
FIRE STORM
Canada teams subdue Jasper fire but not nearby blazes
Canada teams subdue Jasper fire but not nearby blazes
by AFP Staff Writers
Montreal (AFP) July 28, 2024

The wildfires that destroyed nearly a third of the beloved tourist town of Jasper in western Canada are now under control, but firefighters are still battling other nearby blazes that could go on for months, authorities said Sunday.

The fires, touched off Monday by lightning strikes in a drought-stricken area, are the biggest to hit vast Jasper National Park in a century.

Some 30 percent of the structures in the town of Jasper -- a popular tourist destination considered a scenic "jewel" of the Canadian Rockies -- have been destroyed, though no deaths have been reported.

"We are anticipating that all remaining fires within the townsite will be extinguished today," Parks Canada, the government agency that manages the country's national parks, said Sunday on X.

Around 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from Jasper beginning late Monday.

Parks Canada said teams working in Jasper on Sunday were continuing to secure the town's perimeter to prevent new outbreaks and protect critical infrastructure.

Firefighters -- their numbers bolstered by some 400 colleagues from New Zealand, Mexico and South Africa -- were using a helicopter to spot and extinguish any flare-ups.

Both the town and the national park remain under evacuation orders. Royal Canadian Mounted Police are patrolling the area, limiting access to "incident staff and critical contractors."

The town will be reopened only "when the risk of wildfire activity is significantly reduced," Parks Canada said.

But Landon Shepherd, an agency official, said bringing the fire under control throughout the national park would "not be easy."

Some 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) of forestland have gone up in smoke.

Throughout Alberta, 135 wildfires remained active on Sunday, about a quarter of them deemed out of control, Parks Canada said.

Some 185 miles (300 kilometers) to the south of Jasper, in British Columbia province, residents of Slocan, a village of some 600 houses, have also had to evacuate.

As in the United States, Canada's western region has been hard-hit by wildfires this summer.

Repeated heat waves and dry conditions, both likely linked to global climate change, are believed to be key factors, scientists say.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FIRE STORM
Wildfire engulfs parts of main town in Canada's Jasper National Park
Montreal (AFP) July 25, 2024
An "out of control" wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said Thursday, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze. While the fire has so far caused no casualties, as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from the area before the conflagration suddenly grew in size, overtaking firefighters. "There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," said Danielle Smith, ... read more

FIRE STORM
North Korea mobilises military helicopters for flood rescue

Countries must collaborate on migration amid escalating climate crisis

Ethiopia PM visits village hit by deadly landslide

Hopes fade for more survivors in Indian landslide rescue

FIRE STORM
Thousands across Serbia protest lithium mine restart

China Leads in Innovations for Large-Span Arch Bridge Construction

Microsoft cloud unit miss dulls bright earnings

New catalyst developed from nanoscale cubes

FIRE STORM
Bearded fireworm stalks shallows as Mediterranean warms

Libya jails 12 over dam management during deadly Derna floods

Oxygen-depleted 'dead zone' in Gulf of Mexico larger than expected this year

Reclaimed by floods, wildlife returns to Romania's Danube Delta

FIRE STORM
Andean Glaciers Reach Smallest Size in Over 11,700 Years Study Finds

GLOBE Alumna and Youth for Habitat Program Lead named Scientist of the Month in Alaska

Researchers Launch Underwater Study of Greenland's Glaciers

NASA Mission Enhances Understanding of Arctic Sea Ice Melt

FIRE STORM
Tourism, heat cut Japan rice inventory to 21st century low

Drought in Sicily threatens grain fields, animal herds

No paving stone unturned in Dutch garden greening contest

'Truly frightening': Pesticides increasingly laced with forever chemicals

FIRE STORM
Mountain split to trigger tsunami in Norwegian fjord -- but when?

Pakistan's second-largest city Lahore hit by record rain

Typhoons forming closer to coast due to climate change: study

30 dead, dozens missing after torrential rain in central China

FIRE STORM
Thousands celebrate Niger coup anniversary

How China's tech cooperation with Africa makes a difference

HRW calls for probe into 'gruesome' Burkina mutilation

Nigeria's army, security agency warn against Kenya-style protests

FIRE STORM
Iraqi churches denounce Olympics opening ceremony scene

Ancient Human Migration Routes Through Southeast Indonesia Unveiled

Tense talks as UNESCO mulls Heritage sites at risk

Evidence Points to Human Butchery of Giant Armadillo Relatives in Argentina 21,000 Years Ago

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.