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Staged re-entry plan for Jasper in the works: Guilbeault

"Crews are now bringing power back on and looking to prepare the community for a staged re-entry, although there are no firm timelines for when that occurs."
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Crews continue to extinguish hotspots and will be moving into new areas, including outlying commercial accommodations and Parks Canada campgrounds. | Parks Canada

Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has confirmed plans for a staged re-entry to the Jasper but did not provide a timeline.

Guilbeault also told press on Monday morning that all the fires within the community have been extinguished.

“Crews are now bringing power back on and looking to prepare the community for a staged re-entry, although there are no firm timelines for when that occurs,” he said.

Roughly 30 per cent of structures in town have been lost to the fire, and the wildfire remains out of control.

However, no casualties or significant injuries have been reported, and the wildfire has not significantly grown as of Monday morning.

Jasper National Park remains closed to the public and under evacuation order.

Guilbeault said crews were working to extend the buffer zone around the community to three kilometres.

“Beyond that, there are still active wildfires which threaten the community,” he added.

“Teams on the ground are working very hard to stabilize the situation throughout Jasper National Park over the coming three days before weather forecasts predict heightened fire risks.”

In a separate update, Parks Canada reported that crews continue to extinguish hotspots and will be moving into new areas such as outlying commercial accommodations and Parks Canada campgrounds.

Bulldozers have added protection lines between Tram Line Road and Highway 16, and ignition fire specialists will consider options to safely and strategically reduce remaining fuels in the area.

Parks Canada emphasized that the wildfire situation continues to pose a threat to public safety in adjacent areas.

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