Family from Kenora, Ont., among thousands of evacuees after wildfire encroaches on Jasper, Alta.
Hayley and Jeremy Schwartz, 2 kids forced to leave national park while on vacation
Hayley and Jeremy Schwartz and their two children were in the middle of a long family road trip to Western Canada when they thought a detour to Jasper, Alta., would be a great idea.
The Schwartzes, who live in Kenora, Ont., had already been to a family wedding in Lloydminster and stopped in to see her parents. Then, they pulled into Jasper on Monday afternoon, expecting a fun few days in the mountains, with some swimming, hiking, and visiting with friends and Jeremy's extended family.
"We took the kids out for a swim and then a storm came rolling in — we didn't even see it, just heard thunder, that's it. There was the tiniest sprinkle of rain. We didn't think anything of it," Hayley said in an interview with CBC Thunder Bay. "We drove the kids back to the house. We were just lounging around and put on a movie for the children."
Just a few hours after that afternoon swim, they received word they needed to be ready to evacuate, as the storm was bringing a wildfire dangerously close to the community.
"We just packed up as much water as we could," Hayley said. "We packed up all the different things, trying to keep the kids calm. We tried to avoid telling the kids at all costs because we didn't want them to panic."
Alberta government officials said at least 10,000 residents and visitors were forced to leave Jasper National Park after the wildfire moved dangerously close to the town site late Monday night.
With little notice, people were forced to flee through darkness, soot and ash. The evacuation was considered ongoing Tuesday, with some visitors still emerging from the mountain backcountry.
As orders to leave were issued overnight, highways out of the mountain community soon became jammed with traffic — cars and trucks, headlights on, red tail lights blinking, clogged roads shrouded in smoke, with the Schwartz family among those fleeing.
"It was backed up traffic, not flowing at all, just standing still. We sat there for hours, and hours and hours."
The family then joined the thousands forced to leave. During the evacuation, she received text updates from her aunt, showing updates on the approaching fire.
"I honestly thought we were going to die," Schwartz said. "I'm trying to keep calm … but I'm freaking out, just praying. My husband wasn't as worried though."
They eventually were able to make their way through the mountains as part of a convoy escorted by police, heading east toward Edmonton. Still, it was a scary situation.
She said it appeared the worst of the fire had moved through, but there were smouldering flames and burning brush visible from the highway.
"I was terrified," she said. "There was fire everywhere. There were some big flames."
Now, Schwartz and her family are safe and they're staying in a hotel room with one queen-sized bed in Hinton, Alta., as they regroup and come up with next steps.
"We've pulled out the couch cushions. My son slept on the loveseat, my husband slept on the couch cushions, my daughter and I slept in the bed," she said. "We barely got any sleep. By the time I got down, it was 4 a.m. once I woke up I couldn't stop thinking about it."
Though her immediate family is safe, one of Jeremy's relatives works for Parks Canada and is still in Jasper National Park as firefighting efforts continue and they're worried about his safety, Hayley said.
As of Tuesday evening, the closest wildfire to Jasper is approximately 12 kilometres south of the community, with high winds exacerbating the situation, according to the latest update from the Alberta government and Parks Canada.
Provincial officials are working closely with municipal and Parks Canada officials to help contain the fire and manage the evacuation.
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