Jasper wildfire: Canadian town devastated by fast-moving flames

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Huge, fast-moving wildfires have destroyed up to half of the historic Canadian town of Jasper, officials say, and the blazes are still out of control as firefighters try to save as many buildings as possible.Entire streets of the main town in western Canada’s Jasper National Park have been levelled by the fire, with video showing smouldering rubble where homes once stood and the charred remains of cars.While no deaths have been reported, some 20,000 tourists and 5,000 residents have fled the mountainous area in Alberta province, which has been hugely popular with tourists for decades.During a news conference on Thursday, a tearful Alberta Premier Danielle Smith struggled at times to recount the scale of the damage, but said “potentially 30 to 50 percent” of buildings had been destroyed.”There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community,” she said, adding that Jasper National Park had been “a source of pride” for many generations.Ms Smith became visibly…

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