GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alberta — A fast-moving wildfire in the Canadian Rockies that had prompted 25,000 people to flee roared into the near-deserted town of Jasper overnight as a “wall of fire,” devastating up to half the structures in the picturesque resort, officials said Thursday. There were no immediate reports of injuries, following a mass evacuation of the town and a neighboring national park earlier in the week, but Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a letter on the town's website that the wildfire “ravaged our beloved community." “The destruction and loss that many you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension, my deepest sympathies go out to each of you," he said.
He said he was writing with “profound sorrow as we being to come to terms with the devastating impact.” Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta province, said from 30% to 50% of the town's structures are potentially damaged. “We don’t know which structures have been damaged and which ones are destroyed, but that’s going to be a significant rebuild and significant displacement,” Smith said.
Smith teared up talking about the beauty of Jasper, noting that many families from the province regularly visit. A "sense of loss" in a picturesque town A postcard-perfect mountain town, Jasper is famous for hiking, skiing, kayaking and biking. It is also home to dozens of species such as elk, mountain goats, cougars, lynx, black bears and grizzly bears.
“We share the sense of loss .