Wildfires in Canada Have Forced Thousands to Evacuate Jasper National Park and Surrounding Areas
In a repeat of the past, residents and visitors of Fort McMurray, Alberta were forced to evacuate their homes due to wildfires in May 2016 and May 2023. The Horse River Fire in 2016 caused $9.9 billion Canadian in damage and left many families like that of Gertie Byrne with nothing.
This year, the situation is similar as Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper were ordered to evacuate on July 23, 2023 due to a wildfire heading towards the community. Residents were instructed to use Highway 16 heading west toward British Columbia as other roads were closed.
The evacuation order included the entire Jasper National Park, with about 4700 residents and park visitors affected. The situation was described as 'wall-to-wall traffic' by Edmonton resident Carolyn Campbell who took hours to move just seven kilometres. Two major highways, Highway 16 and Icefields Parkway, have been closed.
The wildfires in Canada are a growing concern as the country anticipates a worse wildfire season than last year's which saw tens of millions of acres burned. The Semo Complex fire in Alberta is one of the largest, having burned 96,000 acres and classified as 'out of control'.
The evacuation orders come as smoke from the fires has become a problem for neighboring communities and even reached cities in the United States such as Detroit. The situation has renewed fears after last year's worst season on record.
Jasper National Park, which is one of Canada's popular tourist destinations in the Canadian Rockies, has a population of around 5000 but can have as many as 12,000 seasonal workers every year. The park is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
