Wildfire that roared into Jasper was a wall of fast-moving flame, says fire official
CBC
One of two wildfires threatening the historic resort town raged into Jasper Wednesday, consuming homes and businesses in a wall of flame.
The wildfire, whipped into a firestorm by intense winds, burned with such intensity and speed, it sent plumes of ash and flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air.
James Eastham, a Parks Canada wildfire information officer, said firefighters were faced with a wall of flame that proved impossible to contain.
"Fire behaviour was intense," Eastham said in an interview Wednesday night after the flames entered the townsite.
"Fire crews were witnessing 300 to 400 foot flames in a fully-involved, continuous crown fire and a fire spread rate of approximately 15 meters per minute."
The extent of the damage is unknown but park officials say numerous buildings in the historic townsite in the heart of Jasper National Park have been lost.
Images and videos shared overnight on social media showed multiple buildings, including homes and businesses, consumed.
Park officials have reported "significant loss" in Jasper but have not detailed the damages to specific buildings or neighbourhoods.
Crews were fighting to save as many buildings as possible, officials said.
Critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant, the hospital, communications facilities, the Trans Mountain Pipeline were among the buildings under threat.
The fight has been a battle waged on numerous fronts.
Jasper was under threat from the north and south, and mandatory evacuation orders were issued Monday as the fires flared, forcing as many as 25,000 residents and visitors out.
The northern fire was spotted five kilometres from Jasper earlier Wednesday but continued to draw closer to the town. The southern fire had been reported eight kilometres out from town but within a matter of hours, it had reached the outskirts of the community.
The situation only grew worse as the hours passed.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal officials left an hours-long meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying they feel more positive about the Canada-U.S. trading relationship after weeks of bad blood and heated rhetoric.
The Alberta government wants to cut more than $400 million in the fees it pays to doctors, according to a confidential memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada's incoming prime minister needs to immediately and urgently negotiate a way to avoid China's planned tariffs on Canadian canola — even before an election call.
A judge has sentenced a 48-year-old man to life in prison for brutally stabbing his ex-wife and daughter to death in North York in 2022.
Ontario is seeing a massive surge in measles cases as an ongoing outbreak spreads in the province among mostly unvaccinated people.
Prince Edward Island's Affordable Housing Development Program fell short of its intended purpose, the province's Auditor General says.
Not even cracking open a cold one is safe from tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a farewell message to Canadians Thursday as he marks his last full day in office.
The Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs says about 80 per cent of volunteer firefighters in the territory are wearing expired protective equipment, putting them in danger and in violation of occupational health and safety regulations when they respond to emergencies.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will be given a new portfolio in Mark Carney's cabinet, a source with knowledge of the decision told Radio-Canada.
The Alberta government has suspended a loan program at Picture Butte Feeder Cooperative, the province's largest cattle financing cooperative, after an inspection alleged a number of financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.
If you look up at the sky late, late Thursday in the Toronto area, there's a chance you'll be able to see a total lunar eclipse and what's called a blood moon.
When wintertime calls, go where it's warm.