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    1. Operations & Training
    2. Wildland

    As Wildfires Burned Their Homes, Canadian Firefighters Stayed on Task

    July 29, 2024
    The Jasper fire chief and eight of his firefighters are among residents who lost their homes to the wildfire.

    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.

     

    About the Author

    Susan Nicol | News Editor

    Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues. 

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