Chetamon Jasper Wildfire Status Timeline
September 1, 2022 - Helicopters and firefighters respond to lightning-caused wildfire in Jasper National Park
Parks Canada responded to a 2-hectare lightning-caused wildfire near Chetamon Mountain, east of Snaring Road. There is no risk to the Jasper townsite at this time.
Two helicopters bucketed water onto the blaze and three wildland firefighting crews are in attendance. More resources are available if needed.
Jasper's wildfire is visible to travellers on Highway 16 and is at a high elevation. The Palisades Centre, the Snaring Campground and the Snaring Warden Station are in the process of being put on evacuation alert. There are no evacuation orders at this time.
Sprinklers were deployed to protect structures at the Moberly homestead. The Snaring Overflow Campground will not open through the weekend as it is being used as a staging area for fire operations.
September 1, 2022 - Proactive closure of Snaring and Snaring Overflow Campgrounds due to Chetamon wildfire in Jasper National Park
Parks Canada continues to action the Chetamon wildfire, located 22km north of Jasper townsite. The wildfire was less than 3 hectares in size, burning near treeline on rocky, sparsely vegetated slopes. Helicopters continue to suppress this fire while crews are installing structure protection in the area. There is no risk to the Jasper townsite at this time.
Parks Canada closed all park facilities along the Snaring and Celestine Lake Roads, including both Snaring & Snaring Overflow Campgrounds starting at noon on Friday, September 2.
Jasper Campers and backcountry users in this area now be made preparations to leave the area.
September 2, 2022 - Chetamon wildfire in Jasper National Park
Parks Canada continued to action the Chetamon wildfire, located now approximately 16km north of Jasper townsite at high elevation. The wildfire grew steadily overnight, and is currently estimated at over 20 hectares in size. The fire growth was upslope and into a confined subalpine basin where there is currently no additional threat to public safety or infrastructure.
There was no risk to the Jasper townsite at this time.
Three helicopters and 28 people were dedicated to this wildfire and Parks Canada assessed contingency actions if the fire moves into the valley bottom. An additional helicopter and three initial attack firefighters are dedicated to respond to any new wildfires in the park.
Parks Canada closed all park facilities along the Snaring and Celestine Lake Roads, including both Snaring & Snaring Overflow Campgrounds starting at noon on Friday, September 2.
Sunny weather and dry temperatures were expected to keep the fire danger rating at very high through the long weekend.
Campfires were only allowed in metal fire pits or boxes provided by Parks Canada. Campfires must be attended at all times.
September 2, 2022 - Smoke from Chetamon Wildfire in Jasper National Park
Parks Canada firefighters and helicopters continued to action the Chetamon wildfire. Jasper's fire was not currently threatening the Town of Jasper. It has grown primarily east to over 300 hectares. The wildfire is burning on upper slopes and inaccessible terrain for firefighters to action on the ground safely. Parks Canada is currently deploying helicopter bucketing and aerial retardant to protect infrastructure and keep the fire within natural control feature and roadways. A provincial tanker group has been requested to assess if they can drop retardant on the fire.
The Jasper Airstrip is now closed to private aircraft access. Parks Canada fire crews may be staging helicopters and other aircraft near the Jasper Airstrip area. Public access to this site is not closed, however, access with a pilot's own aircraft is.
Motorists travelling Highway 16 between Hinton and Jasper encountered smoky conditions and reduced visibility. Reduced speed limits and traffic control may be introduced if local smoke persists in creating a hazard to motorists.
Jasper residents and visitors noticed smoky conditions in the evening due to smoke traveling out of the area.
Sunny weather and dry temperatures were expected to keep the fire danger rating at high through the long weekend.
Park your drones at home. Jasper National Park does not permit recreational drone use. The use of drones in the park is illegal and carries with it a fine of up to $25,000. Unwanted drone use in a wildfire situation poses unacceptable risks to aircraft and Parks Canada staff and contractors.
September 2, 2022 - Final Friday update on Chetamon Wildfire in Jasper National Park
Provincial airtankers have been re-assessing the Chetamon wildfire Friday evening, looking for a safe opportunity to assist with retardant in the rugged terrain. On Saturday, helicopters continued to bucket water onto the lower parts of the wildfire spreading into the valley. Parks Canada has dispatched a National Incident Management Team to provide additional emergency response capacity for Jasper National Park.
Parks Canada worked closely with the Municipality of Jasper, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, ATCO, Trans Mountain, Canadian National Railways and other stakeholders to continue to protect critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure includes the ATCO gas and electric lines as well as the Moberly Homestead, a culturally significant Indigenous area.
September 3, 2022 - Helicopter bucketing continues, crews preparing control lines Saturday with more smoke expected
Helicopters took off with the sunrise to continue bucketing water onto the lower parts of the highly visible Chetamon peak wildfire. Specialized fire crews started creating fire control lines to protect the electric power line to the community of Jasper early Saturday morning. Parks Canada is managing this incident with an incident management team and is working with local stakeholders and will have a full National Incident Management Team in place Sunday to provide additional emergency response capacity for this incident.
No communities were at risk from this lightning-caused wildfire that started at approximately 1:30 am Thursday, September 1. The current size of the wildfire is more than 400 hectares and the majority of the spread is wind driven northeast away from the Jasper townsite.
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for areas around the Chetamon wildfire in Jasper National Park.
September 3, 2022 - Chetamon Wildfire – More critical infrastructure protection on the way
Specialized firefighters are on the ground building a protection line between the powerline and the perimeter of the Chetamon wildfire, which is currently 500 metres above distance from the powerline. Parks Canada is working very closely with ATCO to protect the power poles, which have special fire protection wrapping and can withstand surface fire activity. Specialized structural protection contractors are being deployed to install high-volume sprinklers along critical infrastructure and visitor facilities.
Six helicopters were dedicated to the over 400 hectare wildfire, focusing on bucketing water onto the lower slopes of the highly visible wildfire. There are currently 47 Parks Canada firefighters and personnel committed, with another 30 more joining the team on Sunday.
Strong and gusting winds along with unseasonably hot weather made firefighting efforts challenging, but the fire is currently only spreading Northeast on mid and upper slopes from Chetamon peak toward Vine Creek.
No communities are at risk from this lightning-caused wildfire.
Jasper residents should be prepared for a power outage.
September 4, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire – Reinforcing protection lines and incoming resources
Parks Canada continued to suppress the Chetamon wildfire with aerial and ground crews working to reinforce protection lines. Smoke obscured parts of the fire but the current size is estimated to be approximately 1500 hectares. Along the powerline the wildfire is spreading across steep slopes and remains 400 metres from the powerline. On Saturday, wind pushed flames into upper slopes of the Vine Creek valley.
On Sunday, the top priority was to further protect critical infrastructure with improvements to control features and applying additional helicopters for bucketing suppression. Specialized structural protection contractors are installing high-volume sprinklers along critical infrastructure and at visitor facilities. The Moberly Homestead, a culturally significant Indigenous area, is fully outfitted with sprinklers and is currently more than one kilometre away from the wildfire's perimeter.
Eight helicopters were dedicated to the Chetamon wildfire, with most focused on dropping water onto the lower slopes of the highly visible wildfire. There are 77 Parks Canada firefighters and personnel, along with pilots and contractors working together to help ensure this wildfire can only spread into lower risk areas.
September 4, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Fire Sees Significant Growth, Powerlines Impacted
At approximately noon Sunday, the Chetamon wildfire spread to the ATCO electric powerline.
At approximately 2 pm, the wildfire began to impact Jasper National Park power poles. Unseasonably hot weather and strong winds continue to create challenging conditions for air and ground firefighting efforts to steer this wildfire away from critical infrastructure and highway 16.
At approximately 2:45 pm, the wind became dominant from the west and started pushing the wildfire back into the ATCO, TransMountain and CN lines.
Smoke obscured parts of the fire but the current size is estimated to be approximately over 1500 hectares.
Critical infrastructure protection measures were placed at key places, but more aggressive wildfire activity has made it unsafe for firefighters on the ground to continue.
Parks Canada, ATCO and the Municipality of Jasper continued to prepare for various scenarios over the next few days to prepare for any potentially significant changes in wildfire spread and direction.
September 5, 2022 - Parks Canada working with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Warm, dry and windy weather Sunday caused significant growth of the Chetamon wildfire into the Snake Indian Valley. The current size is obscured by smoke but is estimated to be approximately over 8000 hectares. No communities were at risk at this time.
Jasper's rain overnight was very welcome. Parks Canada fire fighting specialists flew over the wildfire later this morning to asses if the rainfall had an impact on wildfire activity.
The Municipality of Jasper experienced power outage due to the wildfire. ATCO crews enacted their emergency plan and worked safely to switch over to generator power for the critical sites.
Parks Canada is worked with the Government of Alberta on Monday to meet mutual objectives to protect public safety, critical infrastructure and other values at risk. A provincial airtanker lead plane will once again fly over the wildfire to assess the possibility for safe flying conditions for airtanker use of retardant.
Critical infrastructure protection remained top priority for this fire.
Parks Canada is able to call upon additional resources through our Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) as well as from national parks all across Canada. The safety of people and critical infrastructure is Parks Canada's highest priority for wildfire management.
Talbot Lake and Talbot Lake Day Use Became closed
For the safety of visitors and the public during fire operations, some areas in Jasper National Park are closed. Please check Parks Canada's important bulletins for all closures and warnings: parkscanada.gc.ca/jasper-alertsThe Jasper Airstrip was closed to private aircraft access to make room for aircraft operating on the Chetamon wildfire. Public access to this site is not closed.
Illegal drone use near Chetamon wildfire swiftly investigated and charged.
Safety is always the first priority for fire air operators, who have a variety of airspace hazards to consider. Among those hazards are thick smoke, heavy winds, and busy airspace over the Chetamon fire. The careless use of drones in this area poses a direct threat to the lives and wellbeing of our wildfire response teams: in the air and on the ground.
On the afternoon of September 4, an illegal drone user was reported by witnesses along Highway 16. This individual was quickly reported, investigated, caught, and charged by Park Wardens. They will now face substantial charges as a result of their actions.
The use of recreational drones in Jasper National Park is dangerous and illegal, carrying a maximum fine of $25,000. Drone users violating Parks Canada regulations, especially the airspace near the Chetamon wildfire, and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
September 5, 2022 - Visitor Services Reduced in Jasper National Park: Consider returning another day
Monday morning's power outage in Jasper National Park from the Chetamon Mountain wildfire forced Parks Canada to take the step to close Wabasso Campground earlier than planned. Wabasso Campground is now closed. The Wabasso Campground closure is not an evacuation and there is no threat to campers from this wildfire. The lack of power in Wabasso Campground makes it infeasible to provide basic campground services in this location. Visitors impacted by cancelled camping reservations were refunded for their stay. While Wapiti and Whistlers campgrounds remain open, campers are encouraged to leave the park and return another day. Whistlers and Wapiti campgrounds are on limited services, with only cold water and flush toilets.
September 6, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire – Rain overnight and cooler temperatures on Monday
Rain overnight and cooler temperatures on Monday allowed firefighters and helicopters to safely access two priority areas of the Chetamon wildfire. Firefighters were able to lay out sprinklers and hoses in key areas on the south side of the wildfire and helicopters made progress bucketing water on the north side of the wildfire. The wildfire is now more accurately mapped at 6150 hectares.
ATCO Update:
As of 4 p.m. today (Monday, Sept. 5), power to critical infrastructure, such as the hospital, fire hall and the Municipality's emergency crisis center has been restored in Jasper. ATCO worked under the direction of the Municipality & Jasper Parks on the second phase for further restoration to customers.September 6, 2022 - Whistlers and Wapiti Campgrounds Temporarily Closed
Due to ongoing power issues associated with the Chetamon Mountain wildfire and the need to focus on restoring all essential services to the community of Jasper, Jasper National Park is temporarily closing Whistlers and Wapiti campgrounds in addition to Wabasso. Existing back up power systems at these campgrounds are not intended to provide power for an extended period of time. The emergency power system on-site in these campgrounds only provides sewer and potable water for campers and is not sustainable over the long term. This temporary closure is inclusive from September 6 through September 11, 2022. Campers who are impacted by cancelled camping reservations will be contacted directly about refunds. Is this the time to visit Jasper? Jasper National Park and the Town of Jasper are experiencing significant challenges caused by the Chetamon Mountain wildfire. No communities are at risk from this lightning-caused wildfire. A potential long-term power outage has left many non-essential community and tourism services, including gas stations, food service and grocery stores without the ability to operate. While visitors are not being turned back from visiting the park at this time, those who have the ability to be flexible with their travel plans should reconsider them. Plese consider visiting Jasper another day when the wildfire situation subsides and full power services have been restored. At that time, we will be better able to welcome you and offer quality services.
September 6, 2022 - Chetamon Wildfire Update - Now is not the time to visit Jasper National Park
Parks Canada is asking Jasper visitors to make alternate plans and reschedule their visit to Jasper National Park for another day. While Miette Hotsprings and the Columbia Icefields are not affected, Parks Canada is only able to provide essential services for the townsite and surrounding areas close to the townsite. The Municipality of Jasper and outlying areas have been without power since 4 am Monday, September 5, and power is currently focused on essential services only. Parks Canada, the Municipality of Jasper and ATCO are working to restore more enhanced power services to the town.
Parks Canada firefighters took advantage of less intense fire behaviour Tuesday
There was no risk to Jasper at this time. Proactive protections of critical infrastructure and the Municipality of Jasper from any potential future growth of the Chetamon wildfire was top priority. A large-scale high volume sprinkler system was placed on the community fire guard to proactively protect infrastructure within the townsite.In addition to industrial sprinklers along Cabin Lake fire road, firefighters worked with waterways like rivers that provide natural protection lines between the community and linking them with forest and fuel cleared areas. Further to preventing south fire spread, firefighters placed two kilometers of hose and sprinklers along the south perimeter of the wildfire. North of the Snaring campground there is 2740 metres (9,000 feet) of hose line protection in place. Further sprinkler systems are being set up north of the transfer station, and around other critical infrastructure close to town. Safe flying conditions allowed fire specialists to fly above the entire perimeter and update the size accurately to approximately 5500 hectares.
In addition to moving water to key areas, firefighters removed trees north of the transfer station, creating a new control feature to help protect from possible wildfire growth. Without more rain, Jasper's wildfire will progressively become more intense in the coming days and these proactive measures will allow firefighters to defend against further growth.
Eight helicopters spent the morning dropping buckets of water, but two illegal drones grounded all aircraft on the Chetamon wildfire Tuesday afternoon. While both drone operators were charged, this activity threatens first responder safety and significantly delays efforts to protect people and critical infrastructure. Aircraft resumed water bucketing Wednesday, and Parks Canada appreciates the public's assistance with rapid reporting of this dangerous and illegal drone use.
Closures in Jasper National Park
Jasper Campgrounds
Miette, Wabasso, Jonas, and Kerkeslin campgrounds were closed for the season. Snaring River and Overflow campgrounds were closed due to wildfire operations. Whistlers and Wapiti campgrounds were closed September 7 through September 11 (inclusive) due to an ongoing power outage and will be reassessed based on the evolving situation.Jasper National Park Area closures
An area known as Pyramid Bench was closed for the proactive installation of a high-volume sprinkler.Talbot Lake and Talbot Lake Day Use area were closed to all traffic and travel until further notice.
Snaring and Celestine Lake Roads and the surrounding area were closed.
The Jasper Airstrip is closed to private aircraft access to make room for aircraft operating on the Chetamon wildfire. Public access to this site was not closed.
September 7, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire – Strong winds increase wildfire intensity
The Municipality of Jasper received a small amount of rain overnight, but the Chetamon wildfire area remained dry. Wildfire activity picked up again in the heat of the afternoon on the north, south and middle portions of the wildfire. Firefighters on the south side of the wildfire made progress laying hose and sprinklers, and removing brush and trees with hand ignition to tie together already existing fire break like the Celestine road and CN access road.
There was no risk to Jasper at this time.
Significant afternoon winds made direct fire suppression at the head of all active fire areas too dangerous for both firefighters and helicopters. Firefighters made significant impact with indirect attack methods east of the wildfire. When combined with water bucketing, this successfully slowed the growth south and eastward to continue protecting the CN rail corridor and additional portions of the ATCO power transmission line.
Airtankers were requested from Alberta Wildfire Wednesday. Weather, smoke conditions and terrain in the current wildfire location finally allowed these specialized aircraft to safely drop fire retardant. Fire retardant drops allowed firefighters to work safely on the ground, fortifying protections for the CN railway, Trans Mountain work areas and the Athabasca River. The southeast corner of the wildfire was nearly secured with plans to extend the protection line north along the snaring river.
September 8, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire Update
Now is not the time to visit Jasper National Park.
Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper were experiencing significant challenges caused by the Chetamon Mountain wildfire and damage to electric powerlines. Parks Canada's first priority is the safety of people, personnel and critical infrastructure in Jasper and our neighbours in Brule.
Parks Canada reduced draw on the very limited and unreliable power that was available on the generators supporting Jasper's critical and essential electrical needs. In order to do that, Parks Canada significantly reduced visitor services in Jasper National Park to focus efforts on power conservation, critical and essential services, and wildfire management.
All reservable frontcountry campgrounds in Jasper National Park were closed and the majority of self-registration campgrounds were closed for the season.
Parks Canada asks visitors to make alternate plans and return when regular power and services were restored to Jasper. ATCO stated that rebuilding the transmission infrastructure can take up to several weeks. Parks Canada is taking all measures possible to ensure that ATCO personnel can safely access the transmission line for assessments and repairs.
September 9, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire Update - Jasper townsite protections in place
Parks Canada's top priority remained taking proactive measures to ensure the protection of public safety and critical infrastructure and protecting communities from future potential growth of the Chetamon wildfire. No communities are at risk of wildfire at this time.
Firefighters tested large-scale high-volume sprinkler systems now in place on Jasper's Community Fire Guard. When pumping water, this system produces an equivalent of 30 mm of rain in less than an hour. It will proactively protect infrastructure within the townsite if needed.
Alberta Wildfire supported Parks Canada by providing airtankers for evaluation and fire suppression. Low winds on Thursday allowed Alberta Wildfire airtankers to again make two successful retardant drops on the north end of the wildfire. This allowed safer helicopter operations, but also created smoke along Highway 16.
Parks Canada and the RCMP prepared to use traffic control on Highway 16 to ensure highway safety in accordance with a highway traffic safety plan. A highway closure is the last resort. The Government of British Columbia also provided firefighter support. A twenty-person firefighting crew arrived on Thursday.
Forecasted winds may push smoke into the townsite of Jasper and cause some additional southward fire spread. Weather forecasts into the weekend call for dry and hot temperatures and strong winds on Sunday. This could intensify fire behaviour and increase wildfire growth on the weekend. The combination could make conditions unsafe for firefighters on the fire perimeter, which makes aircraft suppression tactics the only direct way to slow the spread.
September 10, 2022 - Reduced services in Jasper National Park
Due to power outages and an active wildfire, only essential traffic is supported. Intermittent power outages were limiting access to basic visitor services including food, fuel, and accommodation. Parks Canada asked visitors to make alternate plans until regular power and services are restored to Jasper in the coming weeks.
All reservable frontcountry campgrounds in Jasper National Park were closed and the majority of self-registration campgrounds are closed for the season. For campsites in other national parks, campers are strongly encouraged to reserve on the Parks Canada Reservation System before arriving.
Jasper National Park Wildfire update
The Chetamon wildfire was now approximately 5600 hectares.Parks Canada has more than 110 firefighting personnel and eight helicopters dedicated to reducing the risk of the Chetamon wildfire impacting critical infrastructure and communities.
September 11, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire - Perimeter holds through hot and dry weather
September 12, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire Update - Smoky skies and progress being made on Chetamon wildfire perimeter
The estimated size of the Chetamon wildfire is approximately 5800 hectares.
Parks Canada has more than 125 firefighting personnel and nine helicopters dedicated to reducing the risk of the Chetamon wildfire impacting critical infrastructure and communities. No communities were threatened by the Chetamon wildfire at this time.
Smoke in Jasper National Prk
Current conditions in Jasper are smoky. Smoke is drifting from wildfires in British Columbia and the United States. The direction and amount of smoke depends on the weather and changes in wind direction.Visitors were advised that smoke could affect visibility on roadways. Yellowhead Highway 16 is open. Check 511 Alberta for road conditions and updates.
For health concerns, monitor the air quality index on Environment Canada at weather.gc.ca and visit Alberta Health Services or call Health Link: 8-1-1.
September 13, 2022 - Firefighting Progress continues - Firefighters locking in the north and south ends of Jasper's Wildfire
The estimated size of the Chetamon wildfire is approximately 5900 hectares.
Jasper was not threatened by the Chetamon wildfire at this time.
Cooler temperatures and lighter winds have allowed firefighting personnel to safely work at the head of the fire, securing the perimeter and extinguishing spot fires and hot spots. With the support of helicopter bucketing, the team continued to have success in reinforcing containment lines at both the south and north ends and on the east flank of the wildfire along the Athabasca River. The Chetamon wildfire was still active within the perimeter so it is not unusual for individual trees to burn or to see visible flames or spot fires from long distances.
High Volume Sprinkler System Dismantled
With effective firefighting efforts preventing southward spread of the Chetamon wildfire for the last 5 days and reduced fire potential due to the cooler forecast this week, extensive fire contingency measures are no longer needed. Contractors will begin to dismantle the high-volume sprinkler system on Pyramid Bench on Tuesday, along with facility protection sprinkler systems on the waste water treatment plant, the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre, and Snaring Campground.September 14, 2022 - Jasper Firefighting moving into more technical terrain
The estimated size of the Chetamon wildfire is approximately 6000 hectares. The wildfire remained active, with smouldering and creeping surface fire around the perimeter. It is not unusual for individual trees to burn or to see visible flames or spot fires from long distances. Parks Canada has 96 firefighting personnel and five helicopters dedicated to containing the Chetamon wildfire.
Firefighters made their way into more challenging terrain. Many areas on lower slopes were contained. Parks Canada continued to work with ATCO Electric to facilitate safe access, material staging, and danger tree removal for power line repairs.
On the north end of the Chetamon wildfire, crews worked to extinguish several hot spots in more difficult locations and reinforced containment lines from the Snake Indian River south to the Athabasca River. On the south end, fire crews worked in steeper areas on Mount Chetamon and a ridge above the Snaring River to extend an established containment line and to extinguish hot spots. Firefighters patrolled the south perimeter and completed a fireguard north of the Jasper Transfer Station.
September 15, 2022 - Jasper Chetamon Wildfire Being Held
The estimated size of the Chetamon wildfire is approximately 6000 hectares. While the wildfire remained active, firefighting efforts and a cooler forecast have effectively prevented any significant wildfire spread over the last five days. Recent rain helped, however, the amount of rain on the wildfire is variable especially on the north end.
With current weather conditions and resources, the Chetamon wildfire was not anticipated to grow past expected boundaries and no communities are threatened by this wildfire.
Parks Canada had 97 firefighting personnel and five helicopters dedicated to containing the Chetamon wildfire. Later this week, new firefighting personnel were coming in to relieve crews and incident management personnel who have been working on containing the Chetamon wildfire since September 1.
Firefighters and equipment were redeployed from the south end of the Chetamon fire to the more active northern perimeter. Several firefighting crews, supported by helicopter bucketing, are targeting remote and rugged spots on the north end.
The temporary high-volume sprinkler system on Pyramid Bench has been removed as well as sprinklers on the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre and Snaring Campground. Facility protection remained on the Moberly Cabins and Snaring Warden Cabin until a hot spot detection scan was completed. A surveillance drone flew the perimeter from south to north along the Athabasca River using infrared scanning to confirm those areas of the wildfire were extinguished.
September 16, 2022 - Firefighters focused on hot spots in the weeks ahead
Firefighting activities over the next several weeks focused on extinguishing hot spots and demobilizing equipment and resources along secured boundaries on the south and east perimeters of the wildfire. On the active north end, firefighters established a hose line from Celestine Lake south to the head of the wildfire and six helicopters continue to bucket in more inaccessible terrain. Jasper was not threatened by this wildfire.
Current weather conditions helped the Chetamon wildfire to be held and was not anticipated to grow past expected boundaries of approximately 6000 hectares.
Parks Canada utilized a drone for infrared scanning and imaging to fly the perimeter from south to north along the Athabasca River to seek out remaining hot spots. This drone flight is permitted by the Jasper Field Unit for wildfire management purposes.
September 17, 2022 - Rainfall Helped Jasper's firefighting efforts
3.8 mm of rain fell on Jasper's wildfire, which is the most precipitation since the lightning storm that started the wildfire on September 1st. 90 firefighters and five helicopters focused on putting out hot spots along the perimeter of the wildfire. Jasper remained not threatened by the wildfire.With current weather conditions and resources, the Chetamon wildfire was being held and was not anticipated to grow past expected boundaries of approximately 6000 hectares.
September 18, 2022 - Transition to new Incident Management Team
A new incident management team took over to relieve the previous team who have been working on suppressing the Chetamon wildfire. Firefighters are also heading on days off and were replaced by new crews from other Parks Canada locations.While wildfire activity has slowed, the focus of operations remained on extinguishing hot spots along the perimeter of the wildfire. This important work helped reduce the risk of any remaining fire burning underground and popping up again in the winter or spring.
September 19, 2022 - Cooler conditions allow fire personnel to make progress
As a result of cooler temperatures, fire activity slowed, allowing fire personnel to access new areas of the fire. The focus of operations remained to be to extinguish hot spots along the fire's perimeter.
As of Monday, Parks Canada had 93 firefighting personnel and five helicopters dedicated to the Chetamon wildfire. Additional crews were brought in over the next few days to replace the crews that are departing.
Dangerous Trees to be Assessed
In addition to the extinguishment of hot spots, fire personnel worked intensively over the next few weeks to remove equipment such as pumps and hose, as well as assess and address dead and/or damaged trees that may pose risks along roads and trails.September 20, 2022 - Precipitation and cooler weather continued to assist in firefighting efforts.
Cooler weather continued to allow fire personnel to make progress. Extinguishing hot spots along the fire's perimeter remained the priority of operations. The past few days had crews working in steep, tough terrain. This work was important in helping reduce the risk of any remaining fire burning underground and popping up again in the winter or spring.As of Tuesday, Parks Canada had 120 firefighting personnel and five helicopters dedicated to the Chetamon wildfire.
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