Dead Pine Trees Key Contributing Factor to Jasper Park Wildfire: Canadian Forest Service Report

Melted chairs are shown outside of the burned Maligne Lodge after wildfires encroached into Jasper, on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

Dead pine trees, dry conditions, and a lack of prescribed fires were driving factors in the 2024 Jasper, Alta., wildfire that destroyed nearly one-third of the mountain town, according to a report by the Canadian Forest Service.

The Canadian Forest Service report analyzed the environmental factors associated with the fire that burned more than 32,000 hectares from July 22, 2024, to when it was declared under control on Sept. 7.