Forest fires sweep through Jasper National Park, devastating town
Forest fires are threatening Jasper National Park, Canada's largest national park, located in the Rocky Mountains. The fire has destroyed half of the town there. In the province of Alberta, Canada, firefighters are battling 176 forest fires. The fire is moving rapidly.
9:12 AM EDT, July 26, 2024
The situation in Canada is dramatic, and the fires are getting out of control. Firefighters from other regions are being directed to Alberta, where the devastation is the greatest.
An evacuation order was issued this week for the town of Jasper, which has about 5,000 residents and is an important tourist center. Firefighters have been dealing with an uncontrollable wall of fire moving forward at a speed of 50 feet per minute.
At a press conference on Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that 30 to 50 percent of the city's buildings could be destroyed.
Massive fires in Canada. Some areas no longer exist
More videos are coming online showing the massive destruction in Jasper. The fire has consumed many historic buildings. No trains are running, and life has come to a standstill.
Jasper's mayor, Richard Ireland, said that most civilians have safely left the danger area. "This is the worst nightmare that could have happened to our community, but it is the people who are the heart of every city," he told the Canadian station CBC.
"We will find a way to rebuild the city. This experience is extremely traumatic both for each of us and for the entire community," he added.
Element ravages Canada. National park at risk
Already on Monday, around 25,000 tourists and residents had to evacuate Jasper National Park, which is located about 230 miles west of Edmonton in the province of Alberta. It is one of seven parks in the Rocky Mountains listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the second-largest dark-sky preserve in the world.
Fire teams are being sent to Jasper by the federal government and other Alberta cities. In the coming days, 400 firefighters from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa will also arrive.
On Thursday, NASA released a simulation showing how the smoke from Canada is moving. Scientists point out that the rapid spread of the fire is also aided by strong winds and thunderstorms.
Alberta burns, Russian troll farms operate
The fires in Alberta have also become an opportunity for Russian troll farms and their collaborators in Canada. On Thursday, a repeated post on the platform X accused the federal government of neglecting fire protection due to its focus on helping Ukraine. In Canada, crisis management is primarily the responsibility of local authorities, who can request help from provincial authorities if needed. Only if the situation exceeds local management capabilities can they receive federal assistance. A few days ago, the U.S. Department of Justice, Canadian authorities, and the Netherlands reported the shutdown of a Russian troll farm spreading propaganda, and the FBI warned that Russians are using AI tools to spread disinformation.
