Power restored to Jasper while Chetamon wildfire remains active

After relying on backup generators for more than a week, power was restored to the municipality of Jasper on Wednesday.

ATCO Electric has working to fix power transmission lines that were burnt by the Chetamon wildfire and on Tuesday announced they would  start “phasing the town off the generator system and back to the transmission system.”

The wildfire, which is still active and remains steady in size at 6,000 hectares, first damaged the power lines that service Jasper on Sunday, Sept. 4. The fire itself was sparked by lightening Thursday, Sept. 1.

Officials originally anticipated the repairs to take weeks, however, ATCO said it pulled together all resources necessary to get the power back up and running by Wednesday morning.

“Our crews have been working relentlessly around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible to the town of Jasper,” ATCO spokesperson Jenny Le told Global News in a statement.

“Power has been stable and we are working on a phased approach to turn on the outlying communities. We continue to monitor the system and have the temporary generation system in place as backup.”

While potential visitors were asked to change their plans, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said Wednesday all tourists are now welcome back to the town in the Rocky Mountains.

Parks Canada is working to restore front-country camping as soon as possible, said liaison officer Jasmine Ramratan. Whistlers campground will be open for reservations starting Tuesday. The campsite will be open through until Oct. 10.

“All remaining front-country campgrounds are closed for the season,” she concluded.

The wildfire poses no risk to the Jasper townsite or any other communities.