JASPER, Alberta – The landscape at Alberta’s Marmot Basin Ski Resort is likely to look very different after the past week, as a devastating wildfire rips through Jasper National Park and surrounding neighborhoods. According to the Associated Press, 25,000 people were forced to evacuate the town of Jasper, as the burn devastated up to half of the structures.
The Edmonton Journal reports that the evacuation at Marmot Basin was smooth, mostly because the roughly 30 summer staff members were not on site when the alert came through on Monday. Vice-president of Marmot Basin ski resort Brian Rode understands that things will look quite a bit different when he returns to the resort.
“We know the landscape is going to be profoundly changed. As long as the town can survive, the changed landscaped grows. It’s hard to look at it from the perspective, but right now our big concern is what will happen to our town.” – Brian Rode
His family evacuated to Hinton, but Rode returned to the town on Tuesday to get some needed equipment. It was pretty clear the situation had gotten worse and that the growth was noticeably rapid.
“It’s a tough situation, but a lot of Albertans and people in B.C. have been through this before. We’re not alone in this experience” – Brian Rode
According to Parks Canada, the estimated fire is now at 36,000 hectares, or around 88,958 acres. 10-15 mm of rainfall and cold temperatures lead to minimal spread yesterday, July 25, and that precipitation is likely to dampen fire activity for around 72 hours.
