The Mount Chetamon fire in Jasper National Park is now estimated to cover an area of 6,150 hectares, Parks Canada announced Tuesday morning. The fire, which does not pose a threat to Jasper, is burning about 15 kilometers north of the city. Jasper, about 360 kilometers west of Edmonton, experienced intermittent power outages over the weekend with power going out again early Monday morning. The city is now on backup generators as Atco assesses damage to major transmission lines. Critical infrastructure such as the sewage treatment plant and the hospital have been restored. “Power has been effectively restored to critical infrastructure,” Amanda Mattern, regional director of Atco, said during a press conference Tuesday morning. “We have begun the second phase of electrical restoration to bring additional load to the generator and power other parts of the community.” Critical infrastructure, residents and businesses were expected to see blackouts at 1 p.m. MT as the system switched to generators. Power is expected to be restored gradually and completed sometime late tonight, although there was no exact time estimate. “We are working as quickly and safely as possible,” Mattern said. Residents are urged to conserve electricity as generator power is not as reliable as the grid. Blackouts and blackouts are possible, so “conservation would dramatically reduce that,” Mattern said. He suggested turning off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances, minimizing the use of air conditioners, and reducing the use of appliances such as washers and dryers. Officials are not yet able to set a timeline for establishing the main transmission lines. Parks Canada plans to accompany Atco workers to an area now deemed safe to assess damage to transmission structures.
Review the plans
Visitors are being asked to reconsider their plans to visit Jasper, although Parks Canada is still allowing entry into the park. “Please consider visiting Jasper another day when we are better able to provide the full services you have come to expect in our community,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said Tuesday. A large-scale sprinkler system was moved to Jasper as a precaution, according to an update from Parks Canada Tuesday afternoon. Several semi-trucks with large hose reels and pumps will be parked at the Jasper Activity Center for several days. Jasper National Park’s Jasmine Ramratan says winds blowing away from the city and overnight rainfall gave firefighters a window of opportunity to set up more protection and containment. (Parks Canada) Ireland said the primary concern is emergency management, but noted the impact on local businesses was widespread. He said the weekend in September is a critical time for the community. “Everyone is just trying to recover from a few years of COVID, so the impact has been really significant.” Three campgrounds south of Highway 16 – Whistlers, Wapiti and Wabasso – have been temporarily closed to conserve energy. They will remain closed until at least September 11, when the situation will be reassessed by Parks Canada. Area closure also applies to Pyramid Bench trails. Parks Canada is not expecting any closures on the highway, but is monitoring it and other vitals in the area, including Atco power lines, TransMountain power lines and the CN rail line.
Fire condition
A lightning strike on September 1 sparked the blaze, which grew from 400 hectares on Saturday to around 8,000 hectares before being contained late on Monday. Overnight rain and cooler temperatures allowed crews to safely access two priority areas, according to Jasper National Park Field Manager Jasmine Ramratan. Firefighters were able to deploy sprinklers and hoses on the south side of the fire, while helicopters made progress fighting the fire on the north side. “We have a window of opportunity thanks to the short-lived relief in behavior and that is expected to continue until Wednesday,” Ramratan said. He said the fire was expected to increase in intensity without more rain. Weather will have a significant impact on fire behavior in the coming days, he said. “It’s a dynamic situation.” The Mount Chetamon fire is estimated to cover 6,150 hectares. (Parks Canada)
