'I think my place is definitely gone': Jasper wildfire evacuees reckon with 'tragic' fire

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In under a day, Edmonton has welcomed hundreds more evacuees fleeing Jasper’s wildfires after the flames reached the townsite Wednesday evening.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith estimated 30 to 50 per cent of the town was structurally damaged on Thursday.

Adam Hvisc was one of the evacuees who arrived in Edmonton on Wednesday evening after spending a night at a former co-worker’s home in St. Albert. He made the drive to the evacuation centre Thursday afternoon.

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After hearing reports of the wildfire hitting the Jasper townsite, he said he was certain his home had burned down.

“I think I was looking through things with rose-coloured glass, and I (thought) the town (would) be fine, and like fires only happened in the middle of nowhere in northern Alberta,” Hvisc said.

“Now I’m kind of like, I think my place is definitely gone.”

Austin Hutcheson, a Jasper river raft guide, arrived with Hvisc in Edmonton. He said he gathered around 70 per cent of their belongings before evacuating. Hutcheson, who is originally from a small town in Ontario, said he’s visited many places in Canada, but Jasper is one of the most beautiful places he’s been.

“It’s a very special place. It’s tragic that it’s burning right now,” Hutcheson said. 

“It’s just devastating. We’ve only been there a couple of seasons, but a lot of people lost their homes, lost everything. It’s absolutely horrible.”

Hutcheson said they were able to get a hotel until July 30 through the centre but will have to reassess the next steps as they come.

More evacuees expected

As of Thursday, officials said the centre has registered 436 evacuees — 65 came on two Columbia Icefield buses that rolled into the parking lot of the Kennedale Site Building #2, located at 12814 58 St., just after 12 p.m. 

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At a news conference on Thursday, interim city manager Eddie Robar said the evacuation centre is about providing people with as many resources as possible and moving them quickly so they can get to their next destination. 

“We expect more to come as things evolve throughout the day and throughout tomorrow. What that number looks like right now, I’m not sure, but that’s kind of where it stands today,” Robar said.

When evacuees first enter the centre, they can register and access accommodation services by the Canadian Red Cross as well as emergency clothing, hygiene products, snacks, pet care and additional services by the Hope Mission.

This year, the city will not be providing overnight lodging at the facility but has provided a rest area for evacuees.

Edmonton deploys fire aid

David Lazenby, acting fire chief of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, told reporters the city has deployed 12 firefighters in crews of four, a district chief and a mechanic to aid Jasper after receiving a call from the province Wednesday evening.

“As soon as (the firefighters) got there in the early hours of this morning, they got to work straight away and they’ve been working and running on adrenaline ever since,” Lazenby said.

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“It hits home. It’s hitting hard… (Public Safety Minister) Mike Ellis said they saw a wall of flame that was 100 metres high and spread very quickly, driven by the wind, which I’ve never (seen) in my career, and I’ve been in the fire service 28 years, and I can’t even begin to comprehend what that must have been like.”

Recognizing that resources are limited, he said they plan to send additional crews on Thursday to relieve those currently on the ground and will plan to regroup to figure out the next steps as they continue to send support.

ctran@postmedia.com

@kccindytran

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