Jasper mayor, MP sound alarm over fire risk in national park

"Worrisome."

That's how the mayor of Jasper described conditions around the iconic mountain town Friday.

Richard Ireland said pine beetles have devastated the forest in Jasper National Park, leaving behind an unsightly swath of red, dead trees that are now a major fire hazard to residents and tourists alike.

"The dead forest is not so much the tourism concern it's a burned up town that can no longer service visitors," Ireland said. "Apart from the impact it will have on the people who live here, their livelihood, their health and safety and their property."

Areas west of the Jaspertownsite are facing the biggest risk right now, specifically the Miette River valley,which leads into British Columbia over the Yellowhead Pass.

Ireland fears the increased fuel load in the surrounding forest could make his community the next Fort McMurray.

"If a fire starts in the Miette River valley in dry conditions with a bunch of dead standing trees, the intensity of that fire could just be enormous," he said.

"We've seen what's happened in Slave Lake, we've seen what's happened in Fort McMurray and we don't want our community subjected to those impacts."

Ireland says the town council has spoken extensively with Parks Canada about what might be done to mitigate the situation.

• Jasper National Park could face 'change in landscape' due to mountain pine beetle infestation

So far, prescribed burning is the only option on the table, but Ireland argues it's not a very good one as it's difficult to find the right conditions for those burns.

"It's a very narrow window and there aren't any guarantees," he said.

"So we think there might be other methods, some sort of selective logging process, which is anathema to Parks Canada's mandate for ecological integrity, but this is such an unusual circumstance that we think allowances can be made to protect the community and those who live here."

Ottawa weighs in

The issue came up on the floor of the House of Commons Friday.

Conservative MP forYellowheadJim Eglinski stood up to demand to hearwhat plans the Liberals have in place to deal with the smoldering situation.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said her government is working very hard in all of the country's parks, including Jasper.

"Our government is absolutely committed to the ecological integrity of our national parks. That is my first priority as a minister," she vowed. "I look forward to talking to the member further about this and seeing how we can move forward."

Ireland said he is heartened bythe minister's response.

He said it will be a few years before pine beetle-infested trees fall down and are no longer a fire hazard.

In the interim, he said his community remains at substantial risk.

"We can't be complacent. We need to take action to try and do everything we can to safeguard the community."

• Jasper National Park issues prescribed burn notice for east gate area