Thousands of residents expected to return as Jasper re-entry begins Friday

It’s the day everyone from Jasper has been waiting for. Starting Friday morning thousands of residents will be able to go home, for the first time since a wildfire devoured about a third of their town. 

The 7 a.m. re-entry is for Jasper residents only and RCMP will be checking to make sure that’s the case. 

Officials say Jasperites need time and space to digest this massive change to their community, before visitors and journalists start arriving. 

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Rob and Wendy have lived in Jasper for decades. They are grateful to still have a home, to everyone who’s helped Jasperites, and that everyone evacuated safely. 

“The person who made that call for everyone to get out of town, I’m getting emotional. She probably saved a thousand people. So, it’s a bit emotional. You’re leaving and you’re thinking everything is gone. Nothing stood a chance against that inferno,” said Rob Klettl, a Jasper resident.

When it comes to the decision for the RCMP to check for proof of address, people doing restoration work inside the town, like senior vice-president of First Onsite Property Restoration Jim Mandeville, agree with the decision.

“If you don’t live in Jasper and you don’t own a home in Jasper, do not go there on Friday. Do not go there on the weekend. Wait until business has reopened and they’re asking you to come back,” he told 660 NewsRadio.

“If we have thousands of people decide on the weekend they’re going to go for a drive and see it, it’s going to really complicate the response process, and it’s going to slow all of us down who are trying to help the community recover.”

He says a lot of logistics are going into the restoration process, such as the cleanup, along with factors with Parks Canada such as leases and the permitting requirements that may complicate things and add to the timeline for repairs.

Along with noting some homes not being fully repaired, Mandeville says Jasper residents may not be able to stay the night should there be issues with having access to critical infrastructure — even if it looks fine on the outside.

“Make sure you have a backup plan with somewhere else to sleep, because there’s a very good chance, even if you know your home is safe or in an area that you know wasn’t directly impacted by the fire, that you’re going to arrive there, you may or may not have power, you may or may not have water, you may or may not have sewage, and your house is going to stink to high heaven because everything in your fridge and your deep freeze rotted you,” he said.

Everyone was forced to evacuate on July 22. The fire hit the town two days later, and destroyed more than 350 buildings, causing more than $230 million in damages. 

The fire that hit town is still out of control and burning on the outskirts, but officials say they have a critical containment line established and flames are not expected to hit what remains in Jasper. 

Officials warn that while people can visit Friday, it won’t be easy to stay. Some Utilities are still being restored, there’s a boil water advisory, and the schools, they say, need to be cleaned, which could take two months.