Jasper residents allowed to return on Friday, weeks after wildfire forced mass evacuation

Three weeks since a wildfire forced a mass evacuation of Jasper National Park, thousands of people forced from their homes will be allowed to return to the town on Friday.

However, as officials announced the date during a Monday news conference, they cautioned residents that the homecoming will be the start of a daunting ordeal.

"Re-entry into the municipality will pose challenges to those who have lost their homes, businesses and treasured places," said Jonathan Large, incident commander with Parks Canada, during the joint news conference with the municipality about re-entry plans.

"We hope that this first step brings some hope to the community." 

All residents and business owners will be allowed to enter the park starting at 7 a.m. Friday morning when Highway 16, the highway running east to west through the national park, opens for the day. 

However, residents were warned that accommodations and services in the town would be limited and even the homes that weren't damaged may not be habitable.

"It's more about a reconnaissance mission almost, if you will, to go see what's there,"  said Christine Nadon, incident commander with the municipality of Jasper. 

"You might be able to stay, but you might not. And for anyone who has a house on the west side, there's a greater chance of internal damage to the property."

Residents can choose to move back to the community — but should not assume they will want to spend the night, even if their properties are intact, she said.

Many buildings that remain standing in the hardest hit areas of the townsite were severely damaged by the smoke and flames, she said.

She encouraged people to use their first hours and days in the community to assess the damages and plan for any necessary repairs and insurance claims.

Emergency services have been restored and critical services are in the final stages of being set up. Officials are still working to establish critical retail services, including gas and grocery stores. 

Water, power and fuel services to damaged areas remain spotty and returning residents will need to be prepared to be as self-sufficient as possible. Retail and fuel services will be limited and they may need to bring their own supply of potable water. 

"Whether it's habitable or not is up for them to determine," Nadon said. "All we're saying is, there is no risk to public safety so we're not going to keep them away from their properties."