Wildfire reaches outskirts of townsite in the Canadian Rockies' largest national park

One of two wildfires bearing down on the town of Jaspar in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park has reached the southern outskirts of the community. Many first responders have been ordered out of Jasper National Park for their safety and to give fire crews more room to operate. Two fires whipped by strong winds are bearing down on the town of Jasper, from the north and the south. Officials with Parks Canada say the southern one reached the outskirts of the town just before 6 p.m. A last-ditch effort to reroute the fire to natural barriers like Highway 16 and the Athabasca River failed.