Cooler temperatures, rain expected to help subdue massive Jasper wildfire
CBC
Rain and cooler temperatures have helped subdue the spread of a massive wildfire that consumed homes in the heart of Jasper National Park.
The fire, described as a monster for its size and intensity, levelled entire neighbourhoods in the Jasper townsite when it roared into the community Wednesday evening.
As details on the scale of the damage begin to emerge, emergency officials are promising to take advantage of a reprieve from the volatile weather conditions that fuelled the flames.
Alberta government officials said Thursday that preliminary estimates suggest 30 to 50 per cent of the town's structures may have burned.
Officials from Parks Canada, the lead agency on the fire, confirmed many buildings were lost, but declined to comment on the full extent of the damage.
Fire behaviour is expected to calm, at least temporarily, due to wet weather expected in the mountain park this weekend.
Federal officials will provide an update on Alberta's wildfire situation at 9 a.m. MT.
Steven Guilbeault, Canada's environment minister and Harjit Sajjan, the federal emergency preparedness minister, are expected to speak at the news conference.
The fire, which spread into the community from the south, continues to burn out of control and has since merged with a wildfire burning to the north into a single blaze.
In all, the flames have burned an estimated 36,000 hectares but mapping the perimeter remains a challenge due to strong winds, extreme fire behaviour, heavy cloud and smoke.
Aircraft have not been able to fly safely and satellite imaging has been obscured by thick cloud cover.
Officials with Jasper National Park, the agency leading the fire-fight, say temperatures cooled and rain started shortly after midnight Wednesday.
Between 10 and 15 mm of rain fell in the park Wednesday leading to minimal spread throughout the day, the agency said.
The precipitation will likely keep fire behaviour low for 72 hours, parks officials said in the statement issued around 10 p.m. MT Thursday.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
As federal dental care expands to cover most uninsured Canadians, providers say some procedures are being bogged down by paperwork and processing delays.
Chad Anderson had travelled 90 minutes from his farm near Cremona, Alta., to bend the premier's ear, but it was starting to look futile.
Canada continues to see an alarming rise in measles cases in 2025.
The City of Toronto is at risk of losing $30 million in federal housing funding after city council voted last month against allowing sixplexes citywide, a key condition of its deal with Ottawa.
Residents of Happy Valley-Goose Bay are experiencing a power outage, after teams witnessed arcing on a piece of equipment, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro spokesperson Jill Pitcher said.
A restored replica of the square-rigged sailing ship that sparked a wave of Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia more than 250 years ago was relaunched Saturday with a mighty splash into Pictou harbour.
Austin Ola-Daniels was making the most of his Saturday morning, browsing the stalls at his local farmer's market in east end Montreal.
Garden Hill Anisininew Nation leaders are calling on all levels of government to help secure hotel rooms for hundreds of wildfire evacuees as a congregate shelter in Winnipeg became crowded on Saturday and northern Manitoba wildfires threatened their homes and the health of those still waiting to get out.
So far this year, 17 tornadoes have touched down in Saskatchewan, according to a Western University-based tornado tracking project — 10 of which hit the province in a single day.
An out of control wildfire just east of Princeton, B.C. has forced dozens of residents to flee their homes and put dozens of others on evacuation alert, as fire crews continue to fight the blaze.
Dozens of community members in Quadeville, Ont., attended a town hall hosted by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Saturday evening, following a vicious attack on an eight-year-old girl that has shaken the small village.
One person is dead after a house fire in Ajax.
Residents in Jean Marie River, N.W.T. no longer have to be ready for a potential evacuation after the community downgraded its evacuation alert to an evacuation notice Saturday afternoon.