Canada wildfires 2024: Fire continues raging in town of Jasper, but key infrastructure OK, officials say

A wildfire that tragically devastated the town of Jasper, Alta., and its national park, was so powerful it sparked its own lightning on July 24, according to weather experts.

How does this happen?

The stronger a fire is and the more fuel it consumes, the more heat it is going to release. That heat is eventually going to be released into the atmosphere, The Weather Network explains.

Jasper was south of the risk area forecasters were looking at for thunderstorms, but the ingredients were already in play for storm development due to the intense heat from the fire and atmospheric instability.

The particulates in the wildfire’s smoke can also become electrically charged, especially in fires burning at extremely high temperatures, resulting in lightning formation, like what we saw happen in the Jasper wildfire. Essentially, it takes the strongest burning wildfires to produce their own stormy weather and even stronger fires to produce lighting.

B.C. Wildfire Service says fire threat has decreased due to rainfall and cooler temperatures.

According to the province's wildfire dashboard, there are 403 active blazes in the province, with 10 new fires sparking over the past 24 hours.

For current air quality statements and alerts in B.C., click HERE.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says rain and cooler temperatures arriving for most of the province are expected to help reduce fire activity.

"The downturn in weather is favourable at reducing fire behaviour," the service said in a situation report posted Friday morning to its website, which also showed a notable reduction in fires burning in B.C. over the past day to 407, with 55 declared out in the past 24 hours.

Evacuation orders downgraded

There are some encouraging signs as some orders and alerts are downgraded.

An evacuation order for the District of Wells was downgraded to an alert Thursday evening and residents are now able to return home. Officials are asking them to be prepared to leave if fire activity changes.

For current B.C. evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

The Cariboo Regional District also lifted evacuation orders and alerts for the Tatelkuz and Kluskuz Lake areas Thursday.

Over 400 firefighters from around the globe are heading to Canada to join in the fight against wildfires, with some already having landed, officials shared in an update.

In an update posted to X, the Edmonton International Airport shared that over 100 helping hands from Mexico had arrived Thursday evening.

A team of over 200 firefighters are making their way to Canada over the weekend from South Africa to assist with firefighting and fire suppression efforts, the delegation shared in a press release.

An Australian team arrived last weekend, but 100 more firefighters from Australia and New Zealand should arrive Sunday and Monday.

In an update late Thursday, Parks Canada says crews in the town of Jasper continue fighting flames that are jumping from building to building, but critical infrastructure has been protected so far.

The hospital, emergency services building, schools, the activity centre and wastewater treatment plant were still standing, according to officials.

“Firefighting efforts have prevented significant damage to much of the infrastructure in the east end of town,” they said.

Jasper National Park issued updates Thursday evening, stating the two fires near Jasper have merged together and officials estimate the flames span 36,000 hectares. The north and south fires, before merging into one, had burned 270 hectares and at least 6,750 hectares, respectively, as of Tuesday.

Parks Canada expects it will take weeks for firefighters to get the wildfire under control — and even longer before it's extinguished, said Pierre Martel, fire management manager for the agency's natural resource management branch, during a separate news conference Thursday.

Thursday's forecast offers some potential relief for firefighting crews in Jasper, with up to 15 mm of rain expected, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Provincial, federal help on the way

Provincial and federal officials were meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss, among other things, how to support evacuees and how to deploy federal aid that was approved Wednesday.

The province had asked Ottawa for more firefighting resources, aerial support to move crews and equipment, and help evacuating remote communities.

By early next week, 400 more firefighters from outside of Canada are expected to arrive in Alberta to help battle wildfires throughout the province, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a statement.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith provided an emotional press update in the wake of out-of-control wildfires that triggered mass evacuation orders in Jasper and torched large portions of the tourist hotspot.

"To the residents of Jasper and those displaced far from home looking at the images of your town on TV and online, feelings of loss and fear and loneliness must be overwhelming," said Smith. "You are not alone, all Albertans are with you."

During a news conference, the premier said the full extent of the damage is unknown but a large portion of the townsite has been destroyed.

"We are seeing potentially 30 to 50 per cent structural damage," Smith said.

"You have seen the images, as I have. We don't know particularly which structures have been damaged and which ones have been destroyed but that is going to be a significant rebuild."

Smith broke down in tears at the podium when speaking on the natural beauty of Jasper, and the generational impact this tourist hotspot carries.

The premier says she has been in contact with her federal counterparts and local government. The province is committed to assisting evacuees and the community, she said.

Smith also expressed her gratitude to firefighters who continue battling the flames that burn out of control.

"We will recover from this," she said.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says that cooler conditions in the forecast are fueling hope for respite, despite the provincial wildfire dashboard showing over 400 active blazes across the province.

For current air quality statements and alerts in B.C., click HERE.

While the service says that 124 fires have been brought under control, 260 have not been able to be contained — the most notable being the 225-square-kilometre Shetland Creek blaze near Spences Bridge, B.C.

Another wildfire of note sparked on Vancouver Island — the Old Man Lake wildfire is burning out-of-control about nine kilometres north of Sooke.

The most notable evacuation orders posted on Thursday include affected areas of Regional District of Central Kootenay and Columbia Shuswap Regional District.

For current B.C. evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

As fire crews race against time to save the historic village of Jasper from out-of-control wildfires, politicians from all levels are stepping up, pledging their support and aid.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to social media early Thursday amid calls for federal resources to be dispatched to the region.

Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc issued assurance to Albertans late Thursday morning that he had been in touch with Premier Danielle Smith and that every tool would be dispatched to protect "the safety of the public and first responders."

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault says that the evacuation efforts of 25,000 people in a matter of hours is "nothing short of miraculous."

Karyn Decore, whose family has owned Maligne Lodge for over 60 years, is mourning the loss of their hotel establishment and is heartbroken for her staff — many of whom come from countries around the world. The lodge was among the buildings burned Wednesday night in Jasper, Alta.

Decore, who is currently out of the country, says she began receiving text messages from her employees around noon local time saying that the town was going to be hit.

"One of the very first pictures nationwide was the picture of our hotel, the Maligne Lodge burning," Decore recounts in an interview with CBC News.

Decore said she feels anxious for her employees and her neighbours, and feels deep frustration at the damage done to her community.

"My question is, where was the federal government Monday night when they knew there was a mandatory evacuation? It breaks my heart … and it's sad to hear that finally, last night when it was too late, they were going to send in the Canadian armed guard."

Decore said she's still coming to terms with the loss of her family business, which was purchased by her parents. "It's sad for Canadians too, because this is a national treasure … it's our park."

Active fires in Canada today: 978

The map below details locations of wildfires across Canada and classified by status of:

Red = Out of Control

Yellow = Being Held

Blue = Under control

Purple = Out of Control (Monitored)

New fires today: 14

Fires to date in 2024: 3,763

Area burned to date in 2024 (HA): 2.4M

For the most up-to-date figures, visit the CIFFC site here.

One of two wildfires threatening Jasper, Alta., raged into the historic resort town 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 that plumes of ash and flames shot hundreds of feet into the air.

"Like all residents, I feel devastated, shattered and absolutely helpless in the face of nature," said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.

Park officials are reporting "significant loss" in Jasper but have not detailed the damages to specific buildings or neighbourhoods,

Jasper was under threat from the north and south, with mandatory evacuation orders issued Monday as the fires flared, forcing as many as 25,000 residents and visitors out.

The situation worsened Wednesday, as water bombers were unable to help due to dangerous flying conditions. A last-ditch effort to use controlled burns to reroute the fire to natural barriers like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River failed. First responders were eventually forced out of town.

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 metres per minute."

The forecast for Thursday offers some promise of relief for beleaguered crews.

Parks Canada staff say aggressive fire behaviour prompted the decision to have thousands of people flee the Jasper area late Monday night.

Up to 25,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from Jasper since the order was made on Monday, as two fires raged to the south and north, reaching within 12 kilometres of the townsite.

When asked how the fire was able to come so close to the townsite before the alert was sent, incident commander Katie Ellsworth recounted a rapidly evolving situation leading up to the evacuation order.

"The situation unfolded very, very quickly," Ellsworth said, noting it was only a two-hour time frame from the start of the fires to when they were estimated to be of significant size.

Thousands of wildfire evacuees forced from Jasper National Park into British Columbia along smoke-choked mountain roads Monday were directed Tuesday to make a wide U-turn and head home if they needed a place to stay, according to reports by The Canadian Press.

Alberta fire officials said B.C. has its hands full with its own wildfires and evacuations. "They had no capacity to house Albertans," Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis told The Canadian Press reporters.

Ellis told evacuees to take massive detours, either through Prince George, B.C., proceeding north and east to Grande Prairie, or south to Kamloops before going east to Calgary. The result was a long, slow-moving line of cars and trucks heading west through the mountains to B.C. in darkness, swirling smoke, soot and ash.

Many evacuees sought refuge for the night in Valemount, B.C., a town of 1,000 people about 120 kilometres west of Jasper.

Some evacuees spent the night on the floor of the local arena. Others bunked down at the legion. A local church was serving a pancake breakfast while drinks, snacks, information and respite were on offer at Valemount's community hall and visitors' centre.

Parks Canada states in their latest update there were no reports of injuries or serious situations.

With hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada amid a period of extreme heat for multiple regions, many are asking the question of where the 2024 wildfire season ranks in the wake of the historic and destructive 2023 season.

Looking back at 2023, while reviewing 2024 statistics

To date, Canada has had just shy of 3,600 blazes burn approximately 2.2 million hectares of land this year, with just more than 950 active wildfires across the country as of July 23.

The good news is this is considerably less than what was burned countrywide around this time last year. Approximately 11.9 million hectares of land had been scorched through July 2023, according to data derived from The Weather Network.

The BC Wildfire Service reported 430 active wildfires across British Columbia as of Wednesday afternoon, with 106 of those fires starting within the past day. Officials are battling several wildfires of note across the province.

Around this time last year, the province had seen roughly 1.46 million hectares of land burned, thanks to a surge in fire activity — a trend B.C. is currently facing.

For 2024, the total is noticeably less, with wildfires burning a total of 786,000 hectares as of July 23.

Nationwide, the current statistics paint the 2024 wildfire season as less severe than the historic 2023, but it's too early to say how this year will end up in terms of hectares burned.

As of noon Wednesday, Saskatchewan is reporting 103 active wildfires across the province, with 14 classified as out-of-control.

For current Saskatchewan evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

According to Steve Roberts, VP of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, the province has recruited help from Manitoba and Ontario to manage the fires.

The main concern, according to provincial officials, is heavy smoke lingering over Saskatoon and Regina, which has settled over the province after moving in from the B.C. and Alberta wildfires.

“We do have communities impacted by fires but (the impact is) primarily from the smoke in the air rather than a direct fire threat,” Roberts said.

“We have smoke across the northern part of the province just due to the number of fires and smoke coming in from Alberta.”

For current air quality statements and alerts in Saskatchewan, click HERE.

According to Environment Canada, both Regina and Saskatoon continue to be under an air quality warning.

There are currently around 177 active wildfires burning across Alberta, according to the province's wildfire dashboard. Fifty-nine of the active blazes have been classified as out-of-control.

The province announces that there are four wildfires of note — the largest being MWF047 located north of Fort McMurray and is 105,515 ha (hectares) in size.

For current Alberta evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

Calgary's air quality at 'high risk'

Air quality in Calgary is considered a "high risk" with wildfires continuing to burn across Alberta on Wednesday, blowing smoke into the city and hazing the skies.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday, Environment Canada issued an air quality advisory for Calgary, with the index sitting at level nine, which is considered to be high risk.

Environment Canada forecasts that conditions will improve throughout the day and into Thursday, predicting the quality level will drop to seven, which is still considered high risk.

Out-of-control wildfire northwest of Calgary forces evacuation order

An out-of-control wildfire in the Water Valley area, roughly 80 kilometres northwest of Calgary, has forced an evacuation order on Tuesday night.

The fire, estimated to be 85 hectares in size, is located approximately 25 kilometres west of Water Valley.

For current air quality statements and alerts in Alberta, click HERE.

"All persons in the area of closure need to evacuate immediately," reads an alert issued by the municipal district of Bighorn on Tuesday night.

A reception centre has been set up at Water Valley Community Hall located at Water Valley.

There are currently around 430 active wildfires, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). The vast majority of them are caused by lightning, and around 60 per cent of them are considered by the service to be out of control.

There continues to be four wildfires of note, which are those that are "highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety," according to the BCWS. These are the Antler Creek, Shetland Creek, Aylwin Creek and Komonko Creek fires.

For current B.C. evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

The province’s wildfire response has received another welcome boost with the arrival of 34 Australian firefighting personnel.

The wildfire service says local planes and helicopters — as well as aircrafts from the Yukon, Ontario, Quebec and Alaska — have joined the fire fight, with almost 100 airtanker missions from July 18 to 21 dropping 5.4 million litres of suppressant.

For current air quality statements and alerts in B.C., click HERE.

The B.C. Ministry of Emergency Management says about 470 properties across the province have been ordered evacuated, while another 3,100 properties are on alert.

Active fires in Canada today: 995

The map below details locations of wildfires across Canada and classified by status of:

Red = Out of Control

Yellow = Being Held

Blue = Under control

Purple = Out of Control (Monitored)

New fires today: 19

Fires to date in 2024: 3,708

Area burned to date in 2024 (HA): 2.3M

For the most up-to-date figures, visit the CIFFC site here.

Parks Canada is responding to multiple wildfires in Jasper National Park located on the Alberta - B.C. border in what it called "an evolving and dynamic situation." Government officials say at least 10,000 residents and visitors were forced to evacuate from Jasper National Park after a wildfire roared into the area late Monday night.

With little notice, people were forced to flee west over mountain roads into British Columbia, through darkness, soot and ash.

"One fire is approximately 12 kilometres south of Jasper on both sides of the river and wind may exacerbate the situation," Mike Ellis, Alberta's minister of public safety and emergency services, said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Provincial officials are working closely with municipal and Parks Canada officials to help contain the fire and manage the evacuation, Ellis said.

Hospitals and long-term care facilities in Jasper have been evacuated and RCMP officers have been knocking on doors to ensure residents under evacuation orders have left their homes.

Ellis urged evacuees to abide by instructions from emergency officials and register with provincial emergency evacuation centres.

Have you ever seen a news headline flash across your screen mentioning that an area has been placed under an evacuation order, while a nearby community stands ready under evacuation alert? What's the difference?

Here is the breakdown:

Evacuation alert

This is the time to get prepared to leave your home on short notice.

Get your grab-and-go bags ready (which should include several days of clothing, toiletries and medications), your emergency plan, copies of important documents and important mementos.

Evacuation order

Leave the area immediately. Follow the directions of local emergency officials and evacuate using the route(s) they’ve identified. Do not return home until you’ve been advised that the Evacuation Order has been rescinded.

For B.C. evacuation orders and alerts, click here

For Alta. evacuation orders and alerts, click here

Active fires in Canada today: 954

The map below details locations of wildfires across Canada and classified by status of:

Red = Out of Control

Yellow = Being Held

Blue = Under control

Purple = Out of Control (Monitored)

New fires today: 56

Fires to date in 2024: 3,597

Area burned to date in 2024 (HA): 2.2M

For the most up-to-date figures, visit the CIFFC site here.

Massive wildfires in Alberta are coughing up clouds of smoke that are obscuring the sky and hazardous to health.

According to the Alberta wildfire dashboard, there are currently 170 active blazes across the province.

For current Alberta evacuation orders and alers, click HERE.

Alberta mountain township of Jasper declares state of emergency

About 4,700 residents of the Alberta mountain town of Jasper, and visitors to Jasper National Park, have been forced to evacuate after a wildfire roared into the area late Monday night.

Alberta Emergency Alert initially said residents had to flee because the fire was five hours from the Jasper townsite, but an hour later corrected that to say people had five hours to get out — meaning they had to be out by 3 a.m. MT Tuesday.

Just after 2:30 a.m. local time, Alberta Emergency Alert issued a notice saying "the evacuation is progressing well."

WATCH | Tourist shares family's experience fleeing Jasper wildfires:

For current air quality statements and alerts in Alberta, click HERE.

Officials in B.C. are helping co-ordinate the evacuation of Jasper National Park in Alberta while managing more over 300 wildfires burning from Vancouver Island to the province's far northeast.

There are more than 350 fires burning throughout the province — with evacuation orders for more than 440 properties and alerts for over 3,000 in a situation the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness has called "dynamic and ever-changing."

For current B.C. evacuation orders and alerts, click HERE.

B.C. to host evacuees from Jasper National Park

The Jasper townsite — and the park's main east-west artery Highway 16 — were surrounded by blazes Monday night, with fires threatening from the northeast cut off highway access east to Edmonton.

An evacuation alert was sent just after 10 p.m. MT. The Municipality of Jasper declared a state of emergency shortly after.

For current air quality statements and alerts in B.C., click HERE.

Thousands were forced to flee the municipality of Jasper with little notice over mountain roads through darkness, soot and ash.

In B.C., the province scrambled to find accommodation for evacuees.

"B.C. will do everything we can to provide safe refuge for evacuees from Jasper, and are working as quickly as possible to co-ordinate routes and arrange host communities on our side of the border," Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s minister for emergency management, said in a post on the social media site X.

Residents fear losing historic Barkerville to wildfire

First discovered on July 20, the Antler Creek wildfire is growing rapidly in B.C.'s central Interior — to the point where authorities are issuing evacuation orders for several communities, including the historic settlement of Barkerville.

WATCH | How crews are protecting Barkerville Historic Town: