July 21 in weather history

Jasper wildfire

July 21, 2024

The 2024 Jasper wildfire was a wildfire complex that burned in July 2024 in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Fires started north and south of the resort town of Jasper and grew out of control, and on July 22 they forced a mass evacuation of 25,000 residents, workers, and visitors. The fires merged and swept…

The record

Date
July 21, 2024
Kind
Wildfire

What happened

The 2024 Jasper wildfire was a wildfire complex that burned in July 2024 in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Fires started north and south of the resort town of Jasper and grew out of control, and on July 22 they forced a mass evacuation of 25,000 residents, workers, and visitors. The fires merged and swept through the town, destroying 358 of its 1,113 structures. The evacuation order lasted until August 17, but fires to the south continued to burn out of control. On September 7 Parks Canada announced that the wildfire was under control with the fire estimated to be 32,722 hectares in size, and was declared extinguished on April 1, 2025. One firefighter was killed in efforts to contain the blaze, and insurance companies paid $880 million in claims, making it one of the most expensive natural disasters in Canadian history. The Jasper fire topped the list of Canada's 10 most impactful weather stories of 2024.

From Wikipedia, “2024 Jasper wildfire”, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

Wikidata Q127828688 (CC0); text from Wikipedia, “2024 Jasper wildfire”, CC BY-SA 4.0.