Evacuees fleeing from the Jasper wildfires are now eligible to receive financial assistance from the Canadian Red Cross.
In a July 30 press release, Red Cross announced one-time payments of $750 per household will be available to individuals displaced by the evacuations. Payments will be distributed starting July 31, and eligible Albertans can register for the funds online or by calling 1-800-863-6582.
Donations from individuals wishing to contribute to the financial assistance of those affected are being accepted by Red Cross, and donations made between July 25 and Aug. 24 will be matched by both the provincial and federal governments.
All donations made will be used for assisting impacted individuals in Jasper, as well as from other areas affected by wildfire evacuations, host communities, and ongoing relief and prevention efforts in the province.
In a 1 p.m. update, Parks Canada said protection of the Jasper wastewater treatment plant is a priority, and work to remove debris from damaged and destroyed commercial sites within the downtown core will begin today.
Joe Zatylny, deputy managing director for Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said in a 2 p.m. press conference July 30, that the local incident management team is actively working on a re-entry plan with authorities, and the Municipality of Jasper is working to ensure critical infrastructure and services are restored and safety concerns such as air quality and perimeter fencing around damaged structures are addressed.
“There’s no definitive timelines as of this time,” said Zatylny. “Re-entry will only be possible once the wildfire situation in the park becomes more safe.”
Traffic on Highway 16 will continue to be restricted as fires smoulder until the all-clear to re-open the park entrances comes from Parks Canada, said Zatylny.
“Everyone is eagerly standing to hear when we can get some traffic on that highway.”
Christie Tucker, information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire, provided an update on the current wildfire status in the rest of the province.
“Wildfire danger continues to be extreme in the southern part of the province,” said Tucker. 117 wildfires continue to burn in the Forest Protection Areas of Alberta, with 23 out of control.
That number is down from the 170 active wildfires reported last week, thanks to rain and cooler weather in many parts of the province. Hot, dry conditions are expected to continue in southern Alberta, but Tucker said weather forecasts are looking more favourable than in previous weeks.
“Looking longer term, we are expecting more moisture into the province, we are expecting things to return sort of seasonally,” said Tucker.
“We’re not anticipating winds like we’ve seen there, we are anticipating warmer temperatures but certainly not like the conditions we’ve seen. We are preparing, but we are not anticipating a repeat of what we saw last week.”
One hundred firefighters from Mexico and 200 firefighters from South Africa have arrived in the province, dispatched to different areas of Alberta to assist with type three firefighting, focused on extinguishing fires and controlling blazes rather than initial response.
Despite the respite gained by the turn in weather, Tucker urged all Albertans to stay up-to-date with the latest fire bans heading into the long weekend.
“We want to keep firefighters focused on actioning existing wildfires, and not responding to new ones,” said Tucker. Bans in both the north and far south of the province remain in place, while bans in areas that saw rainfall were altered or reduced.
Zatylny said no new emergency alerts have been issued recently for the province. Evacuation orders are still in place for the Town of Jasper and Jasper National Park, Little Red River Cree Nation, Chipewyan Lake in the M.D. of Opportunity No. 17, and the M.D of Bighorn.
An estimated 17,105 Albertans have been evacuated from their homes and communities.
Lexi Freehill, TownandCountryToday.com
