forest fire

More than three weeks after everyone in Jasper had to flee raging wildfires through a curtain of darkness and smoke, some returned Friday morning, greeted by soot-covered tree stumps, Mounties, and long lines of orange traffic cones. Welcome Back was written on a banner at the RCMP checkpoint into the Rocky Mountain tourist town. Residents […]

The leadership of a Saskatchewan First Nation is calling for help hours after issuing an evacuation order due to an escalating nearby wildfire.  Officials with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation are asking the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency for immediate action and accountability in response to the Flanagan fire, which has forced the evacuation of Sandy […]

People who live in Jasper, Alta., will be allowed to return to the community on Friday, but wildfire officials say they should not expect to spend the night in their homes. Town incident commander Christine Nadon told reporters it’s a blanket re-entry to allow everyone to come back at once.  “Residents should be prepared to go […]

The fires in Jasper are now out, and crews are trying to re-establish some of the infrastructure like power, and water. The wildfire that raged through the town has moved on as well. Some Parks Canada staff who are fighting the fire, are among those who have lost their homes. The devastation in the tourist […]

Parks Canada wants everyone to know that despite the wildfire scorching Jasper National Park, Bear 222 is OK. “She looks like a very healthy grizzly bear right now,” the federal agency said on a social media thread.  The bear, fitted with a radio tracking collar, has been followed since the blaze began last week. “Grizzly Bear 222 […]

Parks Canada officials and politicians angrily denied Monday that forest management policies in Jasper National Park contributed to a catastrophic wildfire that damaged one-third of the townsite. Ron Hallman, CEO of the federal agency, said it was “ridiculous” to assert his organization puts a higher value on nature than people. “That is offensive, frankly,” he […]

The devastation in Jasper and the surrounding area is incredible. An area that thrives on tourism, especially in the summer is now faced with the long prospect of recovery, and rebuilding. On Wednesday, radio stations in both Alberta and Saskatchewan will be staging a “Day of Caring” for Jasper, where people will be asked to […]

Parks Canada says it realizes wildfire evacuees from Jasper worry about what rotting food will do to their homes and that others wonder when a critical highway through the national park will reopen, but it says the blaze continues to burn out of control and remains a threat to the town. A statement from the […]

Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park. The park posted a statement on X late Thursday night saying cooler temperatures and up to 15 millimetres of rain since midnight had led to minimal fire activity. The park says due to the rainfall, fire behaviour is likely to calm over the next 72 […]

It’s going to be a hot and smoky week across the province as a heat wave has struck parts of northern Saskatchewan and forest fire smoke from northern Alberta is infiltrating southern regions of Saskatchewan. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a number of air quality statements affecting the Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, […]