National park and town evacuated as wildfire threatens area | CNN

Cars clog the highway as people evacuate because of wildfires early Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Jasper, Alberta. CNN — Dangerous wildfires forced a town and a major national park in Canada’s Alberta province to evacuate overnight Monday. Evacuation orders were issued around 10 p.m. for “everyone” in Jasper and Jasper National Park, according to the province’s emergency alert system. On Tuesday evening, the park said on Facebook the evacuation of the town was complete. Authorities were still trying to evacuate backcountry hikers, the post added. “If you have not yet evacuated town you must leave now,” the park said on Wednesday. “This is for your own safety and to allow these critical operations to protect the town of Jasper to continue unimpeded.” At least two fires are burning in Jasper National Park, which was closed Tuesday. Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s most popular parks and drew in nearly 2.5 million visitors last year, according to Parks Canada. The city has a populatio...