Neighbouring town of fire-struck Jasper ready to help long-term, for better or worse
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Hinton officials and community leaders say the town will continue to do all it can to support its neighbour, despite dealing with their own issues as a result of the fires.
It's been hard to find a hotel room in Hinton, Alta., lately.
Firefighters from across Canada and around the world have been calling the town of 10,000 home since late July after joining the fight against massive wildfires some 75 kilometres down the highway in Jasper National Park.
Also stationed in Hinton for the past few weeks have been Parks Canada, Red Cross and Alberta Emergency Management Agency personnel, as well as some of the 5,000 Jasper, Alta. residents ordered out on July 22.
Less than 48 hours after the evacuation order was issued, the fires reached the townsite and destroyed 358 buildings, or a third of the community's structures. That included some 800 housing units.
An estimated $283 million in property value was wiped out.
Hinton officials and community leaders say the town will continue to do all it can to support its municipal neighbour, despite dealing with their own issues as a result of the fires.
"We all have colleagues and friends and family that live and work out of Jasper," said Tyler Waugh, executive director of the Hinton Chamber of Commerce.
