This year wildfires in Canada have caused devastation to the country’s treasured town of Jasper. The wildfires have ravaged the landscape, destroyed communities and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The causes are many, and fires are a natural occurrence. But humans, and the climate, are making them worse. As the number and intensity of fires increase, the methods used to both prevent and fight them may need to change. How can Canada fight its wildfires? Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical producer: Cameron Ward Contributors: Mike Flannagan, Professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia Liz Goldman, World Resources Institute John Keeley, senior research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and an adjunct professor at the University of California in Los Angeles Cordy Tymstra, former wildfire science coordinator for the Alberta Wildfire Management Branch (Image: Getty/ Anadolu)
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Welcome to the Inquiry with me, Tanya Beckett.
One question for expert witnesses and an answer.
It was 8 o'clock in the evening on the 22nd of July that many residents of Jasper first heard that wildfires were threatening their homes.
By 9:45pm the authorities declared a state of emergency.
It was just three hours after wildfires to the north and south of the town ignited.
An estimated 25,000 people fled Jasper and the surrounding national park.
Jasper is located in the Rockies in Alberta and is well known to Canada's tourists who travel to see its stunning mountain landscapes, glaciers, lakes and diverse wildlife.
Two days after the town was evacuated, it was engulfed by fire.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears when she described the scale of the loss.
For many generations, the town of Jasper and the parks surrounding it have been a source of pride with some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire in the world with its mountains and lakes and meadows.
And to those in Alberta and around the world who have experienced the magic of Jasper, the magic is not lost and it never will be.
Firefighters say that the flames will take until the autumn to extinguish.
This week on the inquiry, we're asking how can Canada fight its wildfires?
Part 1 Canada is burning.
Evacuation can be very stressful and long lasting.
I've talked to people who were evacuated, some who've lost their homes and even 10 years later they smell smoke and it triggers them.