Planned outage at 1 p.m. today. Power to return “late tonight”

Wildfire a stark reminder to be wildfire prepared

Overnight rain and cooler temperatures on September 5 allowed firefighters to access two priority areas of the Chetamon wildfire as ATCO prepares to return the community’s power in phases.  

Sprinklers and hoses have been laid out on the south side of the 6,150 hectare wildfire and helicopters made progress bucketing water on the north side of the blaze, according to Parks Canada.

The short-lived relief in weather behaviour is expected to continue until Wednesday. 

“Without more rain, the wildfire will progressively become more intense in the coming days,” Parks Canada’s September 6 update reads.

A planned power outage in the community will take place today (September 6) at 1 p.m. to help ATCO’s phased approach to restoring power. The outage will affect critical infrastructure currently on back-up power.

“The planned outage is to safety bring additional load back onto the system,” said Amanda Mattern, ATCO’s general regional manager. 

Power is expected to return to the community later this evening. ATCO could not be more specific.

“We aren’t anticipating midnight,” Mattern said. “We’re working as quickly and as safely as possible.”

As the power is phased back into the community, residents are being asked to conserve power as much as possible. 

“Brownouts and blackouts can happen,” Mattern said. “We’d ask residents to turn off unnecessary electronics and minimizing the use of space heaters, air conditioners, driers, stoves and dishwashers. Please wash clothes using cold water and do not charge electric vehicles.”

No highway closures are anticipated at this time. Mayor Richard Ireland called the situation a “large scale emergency.”

“We invite those who can be flexible with their travel plans to consider visiting another time,” Ireland said.

Whistlers, Wapiti and Wabasso campgrounds have been closed to conserve generated power, Parks Canada said. Those closures are expected to be in effect until at least September 11.

Be wildfire ready

In the meantime, residents are being reminded to be wildfire ready: that means having a full tank of gas, an up-to-date emergency alert app and keeping a “wildfire kit” at the ready, says Jasper’s fire chief, Mathew Conte.

“Individuals and families should be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours,” he says. 

Evacuation situations

Residents should be familiar with the Municipality of Jasper’s Evacuation Guide. The guide has important information on evacuation zones and alerts, how to evacuate, how to make an emergency plan and how to build an emergency kit.

Residents should download the Alberta Emergency Alert app and sign up for Connect, the municipal alert system, to receive emergency information and updates. 

Alerts vs orders

Residents should know the difference between an evacuation alert and an evacuation order. An alert tells people to prepare for an evacuation. 

“If you are ready to go and can evacuate early, please do so,” Conte said.

An evacuation order, on the other hand, tells people to evacuate immediately.

“This may happen in circumstances where there is little or no time to notify or following an evacuation alert,” Conte said.

There are no evacuation alerts or orders at this time (September 6).

Make a plan

Conte urges residents to get together with family and loved ones to work on an emergency plan together. Make sure everyone understands what would happen and what to do in the event of an emergency. 

“Plan with pets and other unique needs in mind,” he said. 

Firesmart your property

Jasper’s fuel reduction program has eliminated much of the hazard close to the townsite, Conte said. Specialists have assessed the community as “defendable,” and overall, local firefighters are trained up and there is water available. Still, homeowners’ woodpiles, dry scrub such as juniper and decks loaded with “combustibles”—anything that, if threatened by flames, will catch fire—ought to be stored away from the house, trimmed back and cleaned up, said Conte, who is also Jasper’s director of emergency services. 

Follow Jasper National Park’s social media, the Municipality of Jasper’s social media and ATCO Power’s social media for the most recent updates on the Chetamon wildfire and on the power situation in Jasper.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com