Residents And Travelers Forced To Flee Jasper National Park Due To Wildfire

A wildfire has prompted an evacuation order for Jasper National Park and the Jasper townsite. The evacuation order was issued around 10pm on Monday night, as the wildfire remains out of control near the municipality. Evacuees were initially told to head to the small community of Valemount, British Columbia, approximately 125 kilometres away, although updates from officials on social media have stated that the village has limited resources and cannot accommodate any more evacuees at this time. According to Alberta 511, motorists may make use of Highway 16 to exit the area by eastbound and westbound travel only. Evacuation centres have been set up in Grande Prairie and Calgary for those who need them. For wildfire updates, please visit www.alberta.ca. For road closure updates, please visit www.511.alberta.ca.