When Chris Nissen found out about the B.C. wildfires two weeks ago, he went to his Jasper home and packed an emergency bag for the first time in 30 years.
The bag is full: camping gear, fire-resistant gloves, all of his family’s important paperwork and his best photo albums.
“It’s not if, it’s when … we’re going to get burned out here for sure,” Nissen said. “When we do, we’re ready to run.”
Nissen also keeps his car full of gas in case an evacuation call comes, he said.
Parks Canada issued a fire ban for Jasper National Park Tuesday because of the high risk of fire danger. The Municipality of Jasper has also issued a fire ban for the Jasper townsite.
“We have smoke coming from the east, from the south and possibly from the north…converging in our valley,” said Jasper fire Chief Greg Van Tighem. “It doesn’t happen that often.”
‘There’s just all this fear’
The closest wildfire is burning at Kinbasket Lake, in a remote area 75 kilometres southwest of Jasper on the B.C. side of the Rockies, but Jasper residents and visitors are still on edge.
Kimberley Stark owns the Bear’s Paw Bakery and a bed and breakfast on Jasper’s main street. She hears concern from international travellers every day.
Smoke drifting from B.C. wildfires colours the sky in Jasper. (CBC )
“They don’t know where to go for information,” Stark said. “I’ve had visitors ask me if roads are open, are you able to camp?
“There’s just all this fear.”
Steve Young, Parks Canada spokesperson for Jasper National Park, said at least 20 people filed for campsite refunds Sunday after leaving the park with concerns over air quality and personal safety.
Van Tighem said some international visitors are unsure what to do when they see see smoke.
“They get concerned and think the fires are closer than they are,” he said.
Mayor says ‘be prepared’
Jasper suffered from several fires over the years, including the Medicine Lake fire near Excelsior Creek in 2015, and the Talbot Lake fire in 2003.
If fire comes this year, Nissen said, he believes it will be the worst yet.
“It takes only one spark or one illegal campfire to get it going,” he said. “If that catches on a good, hot day, it won’t take long to catch on.”
A sign showing the fire risk in Jasper National Park. (CBC )
The pine beetle has also devastated the forest around the town, said Van Tighem. The bug burrows into tree bark, dries out the wood and kills the tree in a matter of weeks — leaving them up to 2.5 times more flammable than normal.
“We would definitely be seeing a very hot, very fast-moving fire if it were to start at the west of town,” he said. “Given the right conditions, it could be catastrophic.”
The state of Jasper’s forest is such a concern that Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski brought it to the House of Commons on June 16.
The Municipality of Jasper web site describes the procedures for an evacuation, including the broadcast of an evacuation order through RCMP.
Mayor Richard Ireland said evacuation plans would depend on how a fire is spreading. There are three highway routes out of Jasper.
“We’re not at risk right now … but be prepared,” Ireland said. “Everyone has a role to play in these situations, even if that means taking care of yourself for a few days.”
As a precaution, the municipality is telling every resident to have a bag full of supplies, emergency food, flashlights and a portable radio at their disposal in case an evacuation happens.