Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears on Thursday (July 25), while providing an update on a raging wildfire that devastated the tourist town of Jasper in western Canada.

The authorities informed firefighters were still working to save as many buildings as possible as most of the wildfire is still considered out of control.

Jasper is in the middle of Jasper National Park, in the province of Alberta.&nbsp;

The Jasper town and the park, which draw more than 2 million tourists a year, were evacuated on Monday (July 22), when officials estimated there were 15,000 visitors in the park.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-evacuated-as-canada-wildfire-threatens-energy-pipelines-and-peoples-lifelines-744144">Thousands evacuated as Canada wildfire threatens energy pipelines and people's lifelines</a>

"This is the worst nightmare for any community," Smith told reporters. "We're seeing potentially 30% to 50% structural damage and that is going to be a significant rebuild."

Her emotional response was shared widely online but failed to reflect her previous comments on wildfires – and her government’s relentless fight against federal policies to combat global heating, which evidence suggest has made the blazes larger and more intense.

Notably, last year, Smith trimmed funding to the province’s wildfire response unit. The premier said it would allow for a more quick force to respond swiftly to fires, but critics pointed out her decision.

It is worth mentioning here&nbsp;that there are currently 176 wildfires burning in Alberta, more than 50 of which are out of control. Ten&nbsp;of those wildfires are close to the border with British Columbia, where dozens of fires are also out of control.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mass-evacuation-wildfires-force-9000-to-leave-homes-in-canada-740712" target="_blank">Mass evacuation: Wildfires force 9,000 to leave homes in Canada</a>

The Jasper fire could be one of the most devastating in Alberta since the 2016 blaze that struck the oil town of Fort McMurray, forcing the evacuation of all 90,000 residents.

The blaze destroyed 10% of all structures in the city and shut&nbsp;more than a million barrels per day of oil output.

Experts have warned that climate change will increase the severity of wildfires in the coming years. In Canada, the Boreal forests have historically been a damp biome full of bogs, creeks and swamps.

Recent research also indicates that the oil industry, which dominates Alberta's economy, has contributed to the increasingly severe fire seasons.

(With inputs from agencies)

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears on Thursday (July 25), while providing an update on a raging wildfire that devastated the tourist town of Jasper in western Canada.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears on Thursday (July 25), while providing an update on a raging wildfire that devastated the tourist town of Jasper in western Canada. The authorities informed firefighters were still working to save as many buildings as possible as most of the wildfire is still considered out of control. Jasper is in the middle of Jasper National Park, in the province of Alberta. The Jasper town and the park, which draw more than 2 million tourists a year, were evacuated on Monday (July 22), when officials estimated there were 15,000 visitors in the park. Also read: Thousands evacuated as Canada wildfire threatens energy pipelines and people's lifelines "This is the worst nightmare for any community," Smith told reporters. "We're seeing potentially 30% to 50% structural damage and that is going to be a significant rebuild." Her emotional response was shared widely online but failed to reflect her previous comments on wildfires – and her government’s relentless fight against federal policies to combat global heating, which evidence suggest has made the blazes larger and more intense. Notably, last year, Smith trimmed funding to the province’s wildfire response unit. The premier said it would allow for a more quick force to respond swiftly to fires, but critics pointed out her decision. It is worth mentioning here that there are currently 176 wildfires burning in Alberta, more than 50 of which are out of control. Ten of those wildfires are close to the border with British Columbia, where dozens of fires are also out of control. Also read | Mass evacuation: Wildfires force 9,000 to leave homes in Canada The Jasper fire could be one of the most devastating in Alberta since the 2016 blaze that struck the oil town of Fort McMurray, forcing the evacuation of all 90,000 residents. The blaze destroyed 10% of all structures in the city and shut more than a million barrels per day of oil output. Experts have warned that climate change will increase the severity of wildfires in the coming years. In Canada, the Boreal forests have historically been a damp biome full of bogs, creeks and swamps. Recent research also indicates that the oil industry, which dominates Alberta's economy, has contributed to the increasingly severe fire seasons. (With inputs from agencies)

Alberta Premier fights tears while reporting on destructive Jasper wildfire

Thousands of people in Western Canada fled their homes on Sunday (May 12) as the season's wildfires began earlier than usual. Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement that extends from British Columbia to Ontario, the news agency Reuters reported early Monday.

Thousands of people in Western Canada fled their homes on Sunday (May 12) as the season's wildfires began earlier than usual. Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement that extends from British Columbia to Ontario, the news agency Reuters reported early Monday. The government, meanwhile, said that evacuation orders were issued over the weekend for small towns in the Alberta and Manitoba provinces, while smoke from wildfires drifted over much of western Canada, lowering air quality dramatically. Fort Nelson among worst affected regions British Columbia's Fort Nelson town was among the worst affected regions. Speaking to the news agency AFP, NRRM Mayor Rob Fraser said that fires were all around Fort Nelson from the west to the northeast. Also read | Canada may face wildfires worse than worst-ever 2023 inferno, government warns Fraser urged hundreds of people who stayed put to get out of the town. AFP reported that a fire covering an area of 6,200 acres was burning 3.5 kilometres to the west of Fort Nelson. Nearly 3,500 were evacuated by Friday evening. Fraser told the news agency on Sunday that cooler weather overnight helped slow the advance of the fire but strong winds later picked up in the afternoon, which could fan the flames. In Alberta, 43 fires were burning, including one 15 kilometres from the town of Fort McMurray, forcing people to prepare for possible evacuations. Evacuation alerts were in place in several municipalities of Alberta. Though there was no immediate risk, the alerts ensured that residents were prepared to evacuate if conditions changed. Another catastrophic wildfire season The government has warned that Canada would face another "catastrophic" wildfire season as it forecast higher-than-normal spring and summer temperatures across much of the country. Also watch | Wildfires: The burning issue × Last year was Canada's worst ever for forest fires, with flames burning from coast to coast and charring more than 15 million hectares of land. Eight firefighters died and 230,000 people were evacuated. (With inputs from agencies)

Wildfires in Canada: Widespread blaze in western region forces evacuations

The Alberta wildfire situation remains volatile. But cool temperatures, humidity and some rain can give fire crews some respite in the days ahead. Eric Njoka brings you the report.

Alberta wildfire fighters hope rain, cooling bring relief