GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA. –
Fuelled by whipping winds, fires in Jasper National Park bore down from two directions Wednesday on the historic Rocky Mountain townsite of Jasper.
Parks Canada said a wildfire to the north was five kilometres away while another approaching from the south was eight kilometres distant.
No critical infrastructure in Jasper had been damaged since the fires roared out of control late Monday night, forcing 25,000 people – park visitors and all of the 5,000 Jasper residents – to flee.
Crews scrambled to protect homes in Jasper.
They began work to bulldoze a fireguard on the town’s southern edge. They went house to house in Jasper clearing flammables. Massive sprinklers were being set up.
Parks Canada official Katie Ellsworth said the southern blaze had doubled in size to more than 100 square kilometres.
“All our efforts are focused on controlling further fire spread and protecting our community,” Ellsworth told reporters.
“We expect today that we’re going to have …