Jasper, Alta., residents feel mix of emotions after returning home for 1st time

Loni Klettl was tired when she returned to Hinton, Alta., Friday afternoon, as the adrenaline wore off and reality set in.

She was among the wildfire evacuees allowed back into Jasper, Alta., to view the townsite after a monster wildfire destroyed one-third of the town more than three weeks ago.

Klettle, a former Olympic alpine skier, mentally prepared herself by pretending the journey was a ski race. In town, she biked through every accessible area, concentrating on just pushing her pedals.

"It felt like I was on another planet," she told CBC News.

"It just didn't feel real at all."

Thousands of people were forced out of Jasper National Park late on July 22, including the roughly 5,000 residents of the historic townsite, as a group of threatening wildfires instigated an evacuation order.

In less than 48 hours, flames soaring more than 100 metres reached the town, ultimately destroying 358 of its 1,113 total structures.

West Jasper suffered the most destruction, nearly losing entire neighbourhoods and blocks. Some parts are akin to a wasteland, with torched trees standing lifeless and burned vehicle skeletons sitting on the road. Cement foundations are reminders that homes once stood on certain plots of land.

The evacuation notice for the town of Jasper — not the national park — lifted Saturday, after the fire was labelled as being held.

Klettl stopped by her property. The house she lived in for about six months was destroyed, she said.

While cruising, she found herself getting disoriented because landmarks she relied on for more than 60 years were no more. In some places, she could see light or the mountains where she couldn't before.

"I didn't even know what street I was on," she said.

Crews have been cleaning up debris, fencing off destroyed areas and restoring utilities over the past couple of weeks, preparing for re-entry.

The Canadian Red Cross has set up a support centre in Jasper to help link people to various services, including insurance providers and mental health support. On Friday, Red Cross personnel there also provided buckets to residents filled with things like blankets and clean-up kits, containing items such as mops, detergent and N95 masks.