Popular Alberta Ski Resort Avoids Disaster From Wildfires

A popular ski resort in Alberta, Canada has luckily avoided any disasters from wildfires engulfing the surrounding area.

Jasper National Park, Jasper, Canada / Mandatory Credit - Michael Brandt of brandtphotography

The wildfires that have been roaring in the northwest of North America have destroyed plenty of areas in its path. The Jasper National Park wildfire has caused a lot of devastation.

It was assumed that Marmot Basin ski resort would be heavily impacted by the fires. More than 25,000 people were evacuated from the town of Jasper, per the Associated Press, as fires destroyed the neighborhoods.

Vice president of Marmot Basin ski resort Brian Rode released a statement via the Edmonton Journal noting that things would look vastly different once it was safe enough for him to return to the resort.

“We know the landscape is going to be profoundly changed. As long as the town can survive, the changed landscaped grows. It’s hard to look at it from the perspective, but right now our big concern is what will happen to our town.”

After so much bad news has been shared over the last few days, a positive update can finally be passed along. Marmot Basin is still standing and has not been impacted by the fire.

“We now have confirmation that Marmot Basin is unaffected by the fire. All of our facilities, our lifts and everything are completely intact,” Rode said in a statement updating the status in the Edmonton Journal on Saturday.

Crews were brought in to assess any potential damage that could have been caused by the fires. They have concluded that the infrastructure of the facility, including lifts, buildings and trails were not ruined in any capacity.

Jasper SkyTram based at Whistlers Mountain and operated by Marmot Basin, was also not affected. Unfortunately, Whistlers Mountain was not as fortunate, as burning has left the remainder of their 2024 season up in the air.

Updates are still rolling in as the situation continues to be assessed. There was some hope that the spread would not be as rapid this weekend as cooling temperatures and rain hit the area.

Corralling these wildfires is not easy, especially with rising temperatures around the world. Dry conditions make for fast-spreading wildfire that is difficult to keep contained.