Jasper evacuees who lost their homes will have to wait another day before being able to tour the devastated townsite.
The bus tours originally scheduled for Sunday (Aug. 4) are delayed until Monday (Aug. 5) at the earliest out of respect for the firefighter who lost his life and the dangerous wildfire conditions.
“I know this is disappointing for many Jasper evacuees who are hoping to see their homes today, but the fire situation is also too unpredictable today,” said Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks, during a Sunday (Aug. 4) virtual media update.
“We are planning to begin the bus tours tomorrow pending fire conditions.”
Loewen expressed grief over the death of the 24-year-old firefighter from Calgary, who was killed by a falling tree while fighting a fire northeast of Jasper.
“I know that I speak unanimously from my caucus colleagues in sending heartfelt sympathies to this courageous young man's family and friends. I want to recognize his unwavering commitment to protecting our communities. This will never be forgotten.”
He added no further details would be released about the firefighter out of respect for the family’s privacy and because an Occupational Health and Safety investigation was underway.
Jasper residents who signed up for the bus tours were notified of the 24-hour postponement last night.
Joe Zatylny, deputy managing director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said the Alberta government would continue to keep them notified.
“We are planning for several buses to go through the townsite each day as long as we can ensure conditions are safe enough,” Zatylny said.
“Safety will always be our first priority.”
Over 120 families have registered for the bus tours as of Sunday (Aug. 4).
Zatylny explained that they would be transported via bus to Hinton where they would receive refreshments and support.
“We're connecting them with somebody from Jasper itself to help guide as they go through the town,” he said.
“And then as they return, there will be another stop and debrief, all of this under the guise that there is the support around mental health services, so that as those [residents] are going through such a difficult time and seeing this firsthand, that they're supported all the way.”
Each bus going through Jasper will have capacity of 52 people.
All the buses will be monitored and have an RCMP escort, and incident command will have final say on whether a tour goes forward based on the fire danger in Jasper National Park.
“When they hit Hinton, that is the go or no-go situation where if it's determined safe enough for [incident] command that they can be supported, tracked and plans can be in place to pull them out of Jasper if situations change, which is a variety of multiple variables,” Zatylny said.
“As we know, weather alone and wind alone can change quite quickly, and so [incident] command will give us that go and then at any point if they see something changing that they would turn around and remove residents as well.”
Jasper residents are encouraged to register for bus tours online and can call 310-4455 for assistance.
