Video taken in Jasper Thursday morning shows a scene of the devastation.The video shows houses burnt to the ground and cars destroyed by the Jasper wildfire. "There's Mom's and Dad's house," said the videographer in a Thursday video. .Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland issued an open letter to the town's residents to tell them he was sad to share the wildfire had ravaged the community. "The destruction and loss that many of you are facing and feeling is beyond description and comprehension; my deepest sympathies go out to each of you," said Ireland. "Our first priority continues to be your safety and well-being."Ireland said the incident management team and first responders on the ground continue to work valiantly to protect Jasper and co-ordinate supports for evacuees heading to nearby communities. He called people's resilience and strength "the backbone of our community."In the coming days and weeks, he said they will rally together, support one another, and recover from the wildfire. He said people should continue to be patient and look out for themselves and loved ones. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was interrupting his Tofino vacation to chair a meeting of the Incident Response Group composed of high-level cabinet ministers and other officials.Jasper National Park said the area received a small amount of rain overnight, but it was not enough to help firefighters.It said there have been no reports of injuries."Significant structural firefighting reinforcements arrived throughout the night and have continued to assist with firefighting efforts in the community overnight and this morning," it said. "Due to the ongoing fire conditions and our focus on the response effort, it is impossible to share information about specific locations and the extent of damage at this time." As people can understand, it said the accuracy of this information is critical because it has a direct impact on community members. In response, it will more information as soon as soon as it can to be accurate. While it understands people are desperate to know about the status of their communities, homes, workplaces, businesses, and cherished places, it said it will need some time to stabilize this incident as it accesses and assesses structures.Trudeau thanked the first responders who are in Alberta right now, as they are fighting to save every home and community they can. “Thank you for your courage and for working non-stop to fight these wildfires,” said Trudeau..To enforce these first responders’ efforts, Trudeau said more than 400 firefighters from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Africa will be heading to Alberta.Department of National Defence media relations officer Frederica Dupuis said the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is working closely with its local, provincial, and federal partners to find out the needs for the emergency response. “Information on the size, structure, and capability of the force that will be sent to assist is being determined,” said Dupuis. “The CAF’s assistance will be one that complements and enhances provincial and local resources with unique capabilities.”When major natural disasters happen in Canada, Dupuis said provincial and territorial authorities are the first to respond. If an emergency requires more resources than the affected province has available, she said they can ask the Canadian government for additional resources, which can include CAF personnel and equipment.Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis confirmed he, Premier Danielle Smith, and Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen met with Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan to discuss the plan to manage wildfires. “All levels of government will continue to work closely together during this tough time,” said Ellis. “We are thankful there were no injuries and commend the tireless effort of our first responders.”.Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (FJPL) said it did incur fire damage, but most of its structures remain standing and intact. “While we need time to assess the full scale of the damage and the timelines required for repair and restoration, we are deeply relieved that much of the property was spared and the resort will reopen in the future,” said the FJPL. “For those with upcoming reservations, our reservation team is currently in the process of Resort, Golf, Spa, and Dining reservations for the coming days.” .When it comes to affected people, FJPL said it will send them cancellation notices. It commended its management, staff, and guests for their swift, orderly evacuation and the many people and organizations providing assistance, care, and relief to those who have been displaced.Jasper National Park said all critical infrastructure in the town was unscathed. “Incident Command is able to confirm that all critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant,” it said..Although more time is needed to complete a detailed damage assessment, it said it is clear some homes and businesses have been lost.However, it said the most significant structural damage was concentrated on the west side of Jasper and southwest of Miette Ave. It pointed out firefighting efforts have prevented significant damage to much of the infrastructure on its east side.Jasper went up in flames on Wednesday, with a popular lodge and many other buildings burning up. READ MORE: UPDATED: Town of Jasper ablaze, fire reaches historic Park Lodge, military on the wayParks Canada Incident Commander Katie Ellsworth and Municipality of Jasper Incident Commander Christine Nadon confirmed parts of the southern wildfire in Jasper National Park had found their way into the town’s limits. “At just before 6 p.m. this evening, portions of the South Fire in Jasper National Park reached the outskirts of the Jasper townsite after being driven by strong winds gusts from the south and southeast,” said Ellsworth and Nadon.
