OT: 2024 Weather Thread

CycloneSweep

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
51,212
42,865
This is very very sad. I hope they can fight it off
There’s not much they can do at this point to save Jasper. I think a this point the efforts will mostly be to prevent it from growing too far past. Just an awful awful fire.

Holy f*** this is devastating!!!! Has the Federal Government sent in any help at all yet?
The Province requested assistance this morning so I think it’s on the way. I don’t think they can do anything usually without the province requesting aid but I wonder if that’s different cause it’s a National Park?
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,953
64,523
Islands in the stream.
Maligne lodge is that picture for sure, total destruction.
I'd first hoped this was false report and couldn't see how the first images of fire hitting structures was that location. Then I heard the attempts to curtail West of Athabasca river failed and that the fire took an end run basically around the natural and built areas that could have prevented the South fire reaching from that spot. If reports are true the fire zipped west of Athabasca river and the train yards etc and approached via Whistlers mountain. Odd as prevailing winds earlier in day, the hope was the fire would hit east of Jasper Townsite. The south fire is a monster. Eating up the Athabasca valley and now apparently the town.

Devastated, as many here are and Jasper is my favorite place on Earth.

Additionally the fire path has torched other beautiful spots like Horseshoe Lake, Wabasso lake, Valley of the 5 lakes and is licking even at Edith Cavell area and had crossed Edith Cavell road. The fire went basically crazy in all directions today.
 

CycloneSweep

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
51,212
42,865
I'd first hoped this was false report and couldn't see how the first images of fire hitting structures was that location. Then I heard the attempts to curtail West of Athabasca river failed and that the fire took an end run basically around the natural and built areas that could have prevented the South fire reaching from that spot. If reports are true the fire zipped west of Athabasca river and the train yards etc and approached via Whistlers mountain. Odd as prevailing winds earlier in day, the hope was the fire would hit east of Jasper Townsite. The south fire is a monster. Eating up the Athabasca valley and now apparently the town.

Devastated, as many here are and Jasper is my favorite place on Earth.
I brought my son for the first time and the little guy absolutely loved it there. I’m absolutely broken that it will be a very long time before he can see it again.
We are losing so much beauty from this province.

1721875361030.png
 

93LEAFS

Registered User
Nov 7, 2009
34,184
21,382
Toronto
Visited Jasper multiple times as a kid and my uncle and aunt currently live there, and my cousins were raised there (hell, I even did a week long hockey camp there in the late 90's). From the looks like the entire town might be gone by tomorrow. My deepest sympathies for anyone who has had their life uprooted or altered by this. I feel absolutely horrific for my uncle and aunt who were starting to enjoy retirement and were planning a surprise birthday for my uncle in early September. Truly in shock.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,953
64,523
Islands in the stream.
I brought my son for the first time and the little guy absolutely loved it there. I’m absolutely broken that it will be a very long time before he can see it again.
We are losing so much beauty from this province.

View attachment 896920
I'm absolutely gutted. Beyond gutted. Been to Jasper more than a hundred X. Hiked, biked so much there. Camped so much there. Always wanted to live around there but too expensive. Oddly, and because I'm getting older I hadn't had a chance to go there since before pandemic. Now I wonder if it'll be too sad to go back and visit at any future time.

There aren't words.
 

CycloneSweep

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
51,212
42,865
I'm absolutely gutted. Beyond gutted. Been to Jasper more than a hundred X. Hiked, biked so much there. Camped so much there. Always wanted to live around there but too expensive. Oddly, and because I'm getting older I hadn't had a chance to go there since before pandemic. Now I wonder if it'll be too sad to go back and visit at any future time.

There aren't words.
I’ve never been much of an outdoorsy person, but my little one wants outside constantly and I’ve been making so many plans to show him all of this beautiful province, he’s only 18 months old and at this rate he’ll barely see any of it.

I can’t even imagine how you and others are feeling with such a strong connection to it. It’s just, awful.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,953
64,523
Islands in the stream.
Todd Loewen apparently asked for help around 4:00 this afternoon. Good thing they didn't wait until the last minute. He should resign tomorrow !!
The firefighting manpower and equipment on the ground were not nearly what one would hope and expect to see especially for a world reknowned Unesco preserved Heritage site and 2nd most important National Park in the Nation. All week there should have been NA specialist crews dropped in to save this special location.

Like Lahaina in Hawaii there is no replacing this ever.

That said the confluence of authorities involved, National Parks, Jasper Townsite governance, and Alberta jurisdiction also proved a catastrophic mix of unending confusion on what to do. This fire was too too fast for outdated bureaucracy to be making decisions.

One absolutely awful picture today is captioned "Jasper getting help and nobody giving up" The picture showing one sole additional fire truck enroute to save Jasper. Most of what they had were fire bombers which were parked as it was deemed too risky and too little visibility to use.
 
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Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,953
64,523
Islands in the stream.
I’ve never been much of an outdoorsy person, but my little one wants outside constantly and I’ve been making so many plans to show him all of this beautiful province, he’s only 18 months old and at this rate he’ll barely see any of it.

I can’t even imagine how you and others are feeling with such a strong connection to it. It’s just, awful.
To put it into perspective my more spiritual wife tells me to go to church. Anytime we're in the mountains hiking I say "well, we're in Church, I went. see"

Thats what the place means to me. Its my spiritual connection. My parents RIP told me I was conceived in Jasper so theres that connection too. At least they didn't have to see this.
 

CycloneSweep

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
51,212
42,865
The firefighting manpower and equipment on the ground were not nearly what one would hope and expect to see especially for a world reknowned Unesco preserved Heritage site and 2nd most important National Park in the Nation. All week there should have been NA specialist crews dropped in to save this special location.

Like Lahaina in Hawaii there is no replacing this ever.

That said the confluence of authorities involved, National Parks, Jasper Townsite governance, and Alberta jurisdiction also proved a catastrophic mix of unending confusion on what to do. This fire was too too fast for outdated bureaucracy to be making decisions.

One absolutely awful picture today is "Jasper getting help and nobody giving up. The picture showing one sole additional fire truck en route to save Jasper. Most of what they had were fire bombers which were parked as it was deemed too risky and too little visibility to use.
It’s just insane how year after year we keep cutting the fire fighting budget and end up spending it anyways. After the fire season we just had so much more needed to be spent province side in prevention.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,953
64,523
Islands in the stream.
It’s just insane how year after year we keep cutting the fire fighting budget and end up spending it anyways. After the fire season we just had so much more needed to be spent province side in prevention.
Unfortunately the Pine Beetle invasions of the last 50yrs worked to gradually kill off much of the Athabasca forest particularly in slopes and for decades one could see the deadened forests that were red from being killed by the infestations. Being a NP much of this was just left, and accumulated, and was always a powder keg looking to be set off by a fire of this magnitude. Would've been so much better to have had so many preventative burns over decades. Or smaller fires left to burn. What they did to in preventative burns was so limited.

But this week too there was so much confusion and starting from the evacuation orders.
 

Sra1974

Registered User
Oct 8, 2019
1,825
2,325
Marmot is our favourite ski area, it might be years and years before we can go back and stay in town. So, so sad about this.
 
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Fixed to Ruin

Come wit it now!
Feb 28, 2007
24,732
28,805
Grande Prairie, AB
I was planning on going there for my summer vacation next year now that the kiddo is old enough to remember it. With the devastation I'll definitely go if its open. I would love to support the business affected next summer with my vacation budget.

I was searching up the pictures of the fire. And this one came up. This is how i will always remember Jasper.

 

JordanGalhanth

Registered User
Apr 21, 2012
4,505
5,809
All kinds of memories from annual family trips to Jasper, especially the businesses. Just Around the Corner, Bear Paw Bakery, L&W, and Patricia St. Deli are/were "nonnegotiables" whenever we visited there from Edmonton.

The fire area on Google Maps shows that the Jasper Skytram is apparently engulfed in flames. That was one of my favorite Jasper activities when I was a kid.
 

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