By Canadian Press

Ottawa and Alberta match Red Cross fire donations as Jasper residents view damage map

Jul 28, 2024 | 12:09 PM

EDMONTON — As residents of Jasper learn more details about wildfire damage to their evacuated town, the Alberta and federal governments say they’ll match donations to the Canadian Red Cross for wildfire relief in the province.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan and Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis say in a joint news release that the donation-matching initiative means every $1 donated will become $3 to support people most impacted by wildfires in Jasper and across the province.

It will last for 30 days, retroactive to when the 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal first opened on Thursday.

Parks Canada has estimated 30 per cent of Jasper township’s structures were damaged by the wildfire that still burns out-of-control in the national park, and a map of the town indicating which properties suffered damage was released on Saturday afternoon.

The map is giving residents a better picture of what’s still standing and what isn’t, but a town official has cautioned it’s based on what can be seen from the street.

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A Parks Canada official said Saturday that the blaze is the largest that Jasper National Park has recorded in the last 100 years, and the federal agency noted it is expected to become more active as temperatures warm in the coming days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press