Jasper wildfire: Canadian town devastated by fast-moving flames

A huge wildfire may have destroyed up to half of the Canadian town of Jasper, officials have.

The fires in Jasper National Park, which were sparked earlier this week, forced about 25,000 people to flee the area earlier this week, officials said on Thursday.

Some 400 firefighters from around the world are on their way to Canada to help battle the flames.

Officials warned that there are only limited details currently available on which structures were damaged, and that the focus is on containing the flames and preventing further destruction.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said during an emotional press conference that the township of Jasper would require a “significant rebuild”.

She said Jasper and the surrounding area had been a “source of pride with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world” and promised residents “we will recover from this”.

Jasper’s mayor, Richard Ireland, said that the wildfire has “ravaged our small, tight-knit mountain community”.

He said his town was still coming to terms with the wildfire.

Jasper National Park is the largest in the Canadian Rockies. The resort town bearing its name has about 5,000 residents, but the park had almost 2.5m visitors last year.

Hundreds of firefighters are flying in to help with the efforts, including 100 from Jalisco, Mexico, 200 from South Africa and 100 from Australia and New Zealand.

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, thanked first responders for their response to the wildfires.

“As the heartbreaking images from Jasper emerge, I want to thank the brave first responders who are in Alberta right now, fighting to save every home and every community they can,” he said on social media.

Pierre Martel, director for the national fire management programme at Parks Canada, said the fire was started by a lightning storm and escalated on Wednesday, fanned by powerful wind gusts.

“It [was] just a monster at that point,” Mr Martel said. “There are no tools we have in our tool box to deal with it.”

The fire reached 100m (328ft) high, covering “an inordinate amount of space in a very little amount of time,” one official said.