Forest fires ravage Jasper National Park, forcing mass evacuations

Forest fires threaten Jasper National Park, the largest national park in Canada situated in the Rocky Mountains. The fire has destroyed half of the town located there. In the province of Alberta, Canada, firefighters are battling 176 forest fires, and the fire is spreading rapidly.

The situation in Canada is dire, with fires spiralling out of control. Firefighters from other regions are being dispatched to Alberta, where the most severe destruction occurs.

An evacuation order was issued this week for the town of Jasper, which has about 5,000 residents and is an important tourist centre. Firefighters faced an uncontrollable wall of fire advancing at a speed of 49 feet per minute.

During a press conference on Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that 30 to 50 percent of the town's buildings may have been destroyed.

More videos showcasing the extensive destruction in Jasper are emerging online. The fire has consumed many historic buildings. No trains are running, and life has come to a standstill.

The Mayor of Jasper, Richard Ireland, reported that most civilians safely evacuated the threatened area. "This is simply our community's worst nightmare. People are the heartbeat of every community. The people have been saved and that is significant," he said in an interview with the Canadian broadcaster CBC.

"We can find a way to rebuild. We can find each other to hug again, because we all got out," he added.

On Monday, about 25,000 tourists and residents had to evacuate from Jasper National Park, located about 370 kilometres west of Edmonton in Alberta. It is one of the seven Rocky Mountain parks listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites and the second largest dark-sky reserve in the world.

The federal government and other cities in Alberta are sending firefighting crews to Jasper. In the coming days, 400 firefighters from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa will also arrive.

On Thursday, NASA published a simulation showing the movement of smoke from Canada. Scientists noted that strong winds and thunderstorms are also aiding the fire's progression.

The fires in Alberta have also become an opportunity for Russian troll farms and their collaborators in Canada. On Thursday, the X platform repeatedly shared a post accusing the federal government of allegedly neglecting fire protection while aiding Ukraine. Initial crisis management is handled by local authorities, which can escalate to provincial authorities if needed, and only if the situation exceeds local capabilities can they receive federal assistance. Several days ago, the US Department of Justice, along with the authorities of Canada and the Netherlands, reported the shutdown of a Russian troll farm spreading propaganda content, and the FBI warned that Russians are using AI tools to disseminate misinformation.