Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
The Chetamon wildfire has spread to the ATCO powerline as of noon on Sunday with power briefly going out for about an hour in the evening.
The wildfire began to impact power poles at around 2 p.m.
At about 2:45 p.m., wind from the west started pushing the wildfire back into the ATCO, Trans Mountain and CN lines.
Power went out briefly for Jasper in the evening but was soon restored.
Firefighters continue to work to steer this fire away from critical infrastructure and Highway 16.
However, Parks Canada says unseasonably hot weather and strong winds continue to create challenging conditions for both air and ground firefighting efforts.
While smoke is obscuring the fire, its current size is estimated to be about 1,500 hectares, growing over 1,000 hectares since Saturday.
鈥淐ritical infrastructure protection measures in place at key places, but more aggressive wildfire activity has made it unsafe for firefighters on the ground to continue,鈥� Parks Canada said in a Sunday update.
鈥淭he wildfire situation develops and changes continuously. It is imperative that visitors and residents of Jasper follow updates on social media and recommendations from the town, respect area closures, and follow reduced speed limits.鈥�
Officials continue to prepare various scenarios for any possible changes in wildfire spread and direction.
No communities are currently at risk, but Jasper residents are advised to be prepared for a possible power outage.
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Editor's note: This story was updated at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4.
