The Jasper fire chief made the difficult decision to retreat even as he watched his home burn, in order to protect his crew.
“We had to make the call just to move out the area and let things go,” Mathew Conte told CBC, recalling the moment last week when firefighters had to fall back as they battled the blaze tearing through the community.
Conte is among the eight Jasper firefighters — and many residents — whose homes and businesses were incinerated by the massive wildfire this week.
Officials estimated that 358 of the 1,113 total structures in town, about one-third, were destroyed.
Cooler, wet weather offered some respite over the weekend and fire crews are working to protect the rest of the township ahead of forecasted dry conditions.
