National mourning after monster wildfire spanning 36,000 hectares devastates Canadian town of Jasper

In Canada, wildfires have destroyed much of the popular tourist center Jasper in the western province of Alberta. 25,000 people have been forced to evacuate, and around half the town's buildings have burnt down .The historical Maligne Lodge, which has hosted such renowned guests as American actor Marilyn Monroe, has burnt down.

Pierre Martel, director of national fire management for Parks Canada, said the fire began 12 kiometres away from the town, but an extremely fast wind, blowing at 100 kilomtres per hour, pushed the fire to spread 5 kilometres within the span of an hour. Firefighters and first responders have been working tirelessly around the clock, and have prevented the town's hospital, activity centre, and wastewater treatment plant, from damage. The fire has sparked a conversation about what sort of work forested communities should be doing to prevent blazes, such as removing dead wood, increasing the number of controlled burns, or constructing buildings using material that is less flammable.

DW speaks to environmental scientist Anabela Bonada, at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

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