N.S. sending crew to help battle out-of-control Jasper wildfire

Nova Scotia is sending more than two dozen firefighters to Alberta to help battle an out-of-control wildfire that continues to burn through parts of Jasper National Park.

The town of Jasper, a major tourist destination in the Rocky Mountains, was partly destroyed last week by fast-moving flames.

Twenty-nine firefighters from Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources are expected to fly out Sunday, and will be joined by five from Prince Edward Island, according to a news release.

A department official is also going, and an incident management team was already dispatched last week to help co-ordinate firefighting efforts in Alberta.

In an update, the Alberta government said the Jasper fire is still considered out of control, and Parks Canada is expecting “some growth” with high temperatures Friday and Saturday.

A separate Nova Scotia team sent to British Columbia last month has returned.

Nova Scotia is part of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which means provinces and territories help each other battle large wildfires that are difficult to handle. The province or territory where the fire is burning foots the costs.