Home proximity factor in Jasper wildfire spread, other reduction measures successful: reports

New reports released Tuesday shed more light on the wildfire that destroyed 30 per cent of the Jasper townsite last year.

Jasper National Park is still learning from the unprecedented wildfire that ripped through the town last summer after two separate reports were released Tuesday.

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The first report by Natural Resources Canada is a forensic investigation into the fire itself. It looked at impacts of drought, topography, the pine beetle outbreak, and climate change.

“It does appear from the Natural Resources Canada report that those fire reduction measures were successful and they played an important role in contributing to our ability to save 70 per cent of the community,” said David Argument, resource conservation manager for Jasper National Park.

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The second report looked at the fire behaviour in the townsite itself. It suggested that combustible roof material and proximity of homes were factors in the spread.

The Jasper Wildfire Complex burned 300 homes and buildings, growing thousands of hectares within hours.

The report concluded common traits of burned or partially burned structures included combustible roofing material, continuous pathways of fuels up to the structure and combustible materials around decks and at the base.

Argument says it points out the importance of fire smart measures.

“Moving forward this will contribute to a better understanding of our own rebuilding needs in town. We’ve already adjusted things like the development guidelines in town,” Argument said.

The report looked at several locations surrounding the town and within to find general characteristics of burned structures and how many vehicles in the town survived.

While the park has been managing wildfires for over a century, Argument says the mountain topography, wind and aerial support like water bombers are factors to consider when battling a wildfire of that magnitude.

Argument says the province has seen a number of “wake up calls.”

Parks officials say the lessons learned from Jasper’s wildfire reports are helpful in other communities across the country.

“This is a problem that’s not going away and anybody that lives in the northern boreal forest across Canada could stand to learn from our experiences from last summer.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson