A fierce wildfire has ravaged the town of Jasper, Alta., potentially destroying up to 50 per cent of its buildings. Among the losses are a historic church once attended by Queen Elizabeth II, a long-standing lodge and numerous residents’ homes reduced to ashes. As firefighters continue their efforts Thursday to save as many buildings as … Read more
With the townsite in Jasper National Park evacuated due to a wildfire and many waiting to hear what has happened to their homes, psychologists say there are things people can do to cope and process the “significant” mental health and emotional impacts of the fire. About 25,000 people were evacuated before flames entered the community … Read more
The black clouds billowing from the fires razing Jasper National Park hold more than the reek of charred timber and scorched earth. For thousands of Canadians and mountain-lovers around the world, it’s the smell of cherished memory going up in smoke. “It’s a huge amount of history and memories that are now lost,” said Alexis … Read more
As Canada’s premiers reckoned with housing, health care and their contentious relationship with Ottawa during meetings last week in Halifax, many of them remained consumed by climate change-related natural disasters that have only escalated since they returned home. “It’s not lost on us that emergency preparedness for natural disasters is more important than ever,” Nova … Read more
The darkness of night has traditionally signalled reprieve for wildland firefighters, but a new Canadian study shows that’s changing, and drought is the driving force. The availability of bone-dry fuels is the key mechanism promoting extreme fire behaviour and growth at night, the study says, though warming temperatures are also eroding the “climatological barrier” that has typically … Read more
