Officials continue to work to restore power to many residents and businesses in Jasper, Alta., as a wildfire continues to burn north of the city.
The Chetamon Mountain wildfire in Jasper National Park is now estimated to cover an area of 6,150 hectares, Parks Canada said Tuesday morning.
The fire, which poses no threat to Jasper, is burning about 15 kilometers north of the city.
Jasper, about 360 kilometers west of Edmonton, experienced an intermittent loss of power over the weekend and the power went out again 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,” Atco regional manager Amanda Mattern said during a press conference Tuesday morning.
“We have begun the second phase of power restoration to bring additional load to the generator and power other parts of the community.”
Critical infrastructure, residents and businesses were expected to see an outage at 1:00 PM MT as the system transitioned to generators. Power is expected to return in phases and end sometime in the evening, although an exact time estimate was not available.
“We’re working as quickly and safely as possible,” Mattern said.
Residents are asked 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 conditioning, and reducing the use of appliances such as washers and dryers.
Officials have yet to determine a timetable for fixing major transmission lines. Parks Canada plans to escort Atco workers to an area now considered safe to assess damage to transmission structures.
Reconsider plans
Visitors are asked to reconsider their plans to visit Jasper, although Parks Canada still allows entry into the park.
“Please consider visiting Jasper another day when we can provide the full services you expect in our community,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said Tuesday.
A large-scale, high-volume sprinkler system was being moved to Jasper as a proactive measure, 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 have blown out of town and overnight rains gave firefighters a window of opportunity to create more protection and buffers. (Parks Canada)
Ireland said the main concern is emergency management, but noted the impact on local businesses has been far-reaching. He said the September long weekend is a critical time for the community.
“Everybody is trying to recover from a couple of 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 power. They will remain closed until at least September 11, when the situation will be reassessed by Parks Canada.
An area closure is also in effect for the Pyramid Bench trails.
Parks Canada does not expect closures on the highway, but is monitoring it and other vital assets in the area, including Atco power lines, TransMountain power lines and the CN Rail line.
State of forest fire
A lightning strike on September 1 started the fire, which grew from 400 hectares on Saturday to about 8,000 hectares before being revised down by Monday afternoon.
Overnight rain and cooler temperatures allowed crews to safely access two priority areas, according to Jasper National Park Acting Field Superintendent Jasmine Ramratan.
Firefighters were able to place sprinklers and hoses on the south side of the fire while helicopters moved forward to extinguish the wildfire on the north side.
“We have a window of opportunity thanks to the short-lived easing in behavior and this is expected to continue through Wednesday,” Ramratan said.
He said the wildfire is 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 Chetamon Mountain wildfire is estimated at 6,150 hectares. (Parks Canada)