RCMP checkpoints at the entrance to the Jasper, Alta., townsite have been removed, but visitors are still being told to keep their distance from the wildfire-ravaged community.
In a statement on social media Monday, the municipality announced that traffic checkpoints near the townsite would be dismantled at the request of residents with damaged or destroyed properties who need support navigating the insurance claims process.
RCMP officers will continue to patrol the community. Services remain scant and a local state of emergency remains in effect four weeks after a wildfire moved in, triggering a mass evacuation and ultimately destroying a third of the structures in the historic townsite.
Christine Nadon, incident commander for the municipality, said Jasper has taken steps toward recovery but that does not mean the community is ready to welcome outsiders in.
Services such as fuel and food are reserved for residents, local business owners and first responders, she said.
“There is no checkpoint at the entrance to the community, but there is a strong RCMP patrol with clear directives on that front,” Nadon told reporters on Monday.
“A reminder to visitors that there are no hotels, there are no restaurants, there are no businesses open. And we do need the space to get our residents and our businesses back on their feet.
“We ask you for your kindness and respect in that. And if you do show up in town, you can expect to be intercepted by an RCMP officer.”
Nadon said work is underway to open the community to additional support workers and volunteer crews offering to assist residents with clean-up and recovery, but that will take time.
Parks Canada has released drone footage of the fire damage to the Jasper, Alta., townsite as residents are preparing to return. About 30 per cent of all buildings in the townsite were destroyed by the wildfire last month. Residents are advised to use caution when entering their properties and be prepared for another evacuation if necessary.
Additional security has been brought in to help patrol destroyed homes and businesses.
Parks Canada and municipal officials provided the latest details on the fire response and recovery at a news conference Monday in Hinton.
An evacuation alert for the town was lifted on Sunday as Parks Canada officials announced that the status of the wildfire that devastated the community was no longer burning out of control.
The fire, which now spans 33,000 hectares, is now classified as being held, meaning that it’s not expected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
It was welcome news for the town’s 5,000 residents, many of whom took their first steps through the wreckage over the weekend.
Friday was the first day residents were allowed back but under the caution that basic services remain extremely limited. Hundreds have returned during the first days of re-entry, at least temporarily, to assess the damage.
An estimated $283 million in property value was wiped out in the fire. Entire neighbourhoods were incinerated when the fire moved in on July 24, with a wall of flames hundreds of metres high, fuelled by powerful winds and parched conditions.
As of Sunday, more than 800 people have visited the municipality’s re-entry support centre at Commemoration Park.
More than 350 appliances had been picked up around town and ATCO has completed 521 gas re-lights, restoring service to approximately 48 per cent of properties.
A handful of neighbourhoods remain without water. Three potable water bins have been set up in town for residents to use for drinking water and cooking, the municipality said.
“Even amidst the profound grief and staggering loss experienced by so many, the community’s familiar pulse is unmistakable. Neighbours and friends, who had been apart for weeks, are reuniting with heartfelt embraces and teary smiles,” a post on the town’s Facebook page said on Saturday.
Jasper National Park remains closed, although Parks Canada said Sunday that Miette Hot Springs, a popular attraction in Jasper, has reopened to the public.
It’s unclear when the park will fully reopen.