OLDS — A deputy Olds fire chief who fought the wildfire in Jasper with three other local firefighters is amazed and impressed with how well the fight was coordinated and expressed her sympathy with those who lost their homes in the blaze.
Residents began returning to the town on Aug. 16, having been forced to evacuate on July 23.
The wildfire that destroyed a third of the Jasper townsite and national park is now considered the costliest disaster in Canada’s national park history.
The Jasper wildfire has resulted in $880 million in insured damages, according to a preliminary estimate from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
“This is just the insurance damages for the homes, businesses and vehicles,” said Rob de Pruis, the bureau’s national director of consumer and industry relations, in a presentation to Jasper municipal council on Aug. 27.
“This does not include the wildfire response costs or the Parks Canada costs because they're provided funding under a different program for those. This is just the insured damages.”
The wildfires destroyed 358 structures within the townsite, including 820 residential units.
Olds Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Stephanie Bibault, Lt. Brandon Thompson, Lt. Sarah Manton and George Holdstock helped put out fires in Jasper from July 25 to July 28 with the aid of a pumper truck they brought up.
Bibault said that work involved extinguishing house fires, putting out spot fires and digging out the basements of burnt houses to make sure that all the fires were out so people could return to their homes, “because if there was any danger to a residence, they weren't allowed to return it.”
“The operation was vast, involving hundreds of firefighters and support staff from across Western Canada,” Bibault said in a statement.
“We worked alongside the dedicated Jasper firefighters, who displayed extraordinary courage by continuing to serve, even as they faced the loss of their own homes. Their bravery and resilience are truly commendable.
“I want to extend our deepest condolences to those who lost their homes and belongings in the fire, and to the family and friends of Morgan Kitchen, a firefighter we tragically lost.
“We hold the Jasper firefighters in the highest regard for their unwavering commitment and we stand with the community as they begin to rebuild.”
Bibault also expressed admiration for the emergency management crew that coordinated the battle against the wildfire, describing the professional way they handled that work as “outstanding.”
“They navigated the complexities of a unified command between provincial and federal authorities with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a swift and effective response to this challenging situation,” Bibault said.
“Because it was a large-scale incident on federal property, in Alberta, both federal and provincial entities had to work together and it was very amazing to watch them work together as well as they did. Usually it doesn't work as well as it did. They were quick and effective,” she said.
“Response was vital in managing such (a) challenging situation that could have gone much worse than it did.”
“To those still battling the wildfire, we send our support and hope for your continued strength and success. To the town of Jasper, we are with you as you rebuild. Your resilience is truly inspiring,” Bibault added.
On Aug. 24, the wildfire was classified as being held.
Bibault was asked if she had ever encountered a fire like that.
“Well, because of the damage, you can't compare it to anything else, just because it wasn't one house, there were multiple homes and the just scale of the amount of firefighters that were there, you can't match it to anything that we've done before -- that I've done before anyways,” she said.
“Not very often are there three or 400 houses going out at the same time.”
It was an emotional scene, Bibault indicated.
“It was fairly difficult. It was very devastating,” she said.
