Rain expected to help worsening Alberta, Canada, wildfire situation

July 26 (UPI) -- Rain and cooler temperatures Friday are expected to help crews in the Canadian province of Alberta, where wildfires have destroyed up to half of the historic town of Jasper, forcing some first responders to pull back.

Officials estimate around 89,000 acres have burned so far in Jasper National Park, including up to 50% of the structures in the town of Jasper, Alberta Premiere Danielle Smith said Thursday.

Entire streets have been engulfed in fast-moving flames fed by heavy winds in the region, leading the Municipality of Jasper to declare a State of Emergency Monday .

An evacuation order issued Wednesday forced many wildfire firefighters to abandon their lines and retreat to safety, leaving only municipal firefighters with water to battle the flames.

"Temperatures cooled and rain started shortly after midnight. The [0.59 inches] of rainfall in the national park has led to minimal fire behavior and spread today. This precipitation will likely keep fire behavior low for the next 72 hours," Parks Canada said in its latest update.

"Crews will take advantage of this time to make as much progress as possible to suppress the wildfire and reduce further spread. While rain in Jasper is a welcome sight, warm weather is forecasted and will increase wildfire activity. Currently, the Jasper Wildfire Complex poses no threat to neighboring communities."

We will continue to provide information as soon as we are able to ensure that this information is accurate and not subject to change given the still dynamic situation. ℹ️ Another update will be provided today, July 25 before 10 pm.

Photo: July 24, 8:30 pm pic.twitter.com/MhqM5Qrx55 — Jasper National Park, Parks Canada (@JasperNP) July 25, 2024

Federal, provincial and local firefighters are working to contain the blaze, while members of the Canadian Armed Forces began arriving Thursday. Shifting winds have made it difficult to develop established perimeters around the fire.

Smith said Thursday she asked Ottawa for more help with the fire that is expected to continue burning for another week despite the change in weather. Lightning strikes in the tinder-dry grass and forested area is also upping the risk of further blazes developing.

"I also spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier to ask for a full update from the federal government on their wildfire efforts within the Jasper National Park," Smith said on X.

No deaths have yet been reported but evacuation orders have forced about 5,000 residents and 20,000 tourists to leave the area.

Hundreds of active blazes also are buriing in the neighboring province of British Columbia, as well as in California and Utah.

The iconic Jasper Lodge said on X the tourist destination had been damaged badly by the fire, but did not elaborate on the extent of the damage.

"My heart goes out to the community of Jasper on this devastating evening, wildfire reached the Jasper townsite. We need to pray for the firefighters that remain in town doing everything they can to combat multiple structural fires and protect critical infrastructure," Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen said on X.