Parliamentary Committee Notes: Parks Canada - Jasper Fire Resources

Issue

Resources used to fight the Jasper fire, in particular the use of water bombers

When the first of the four fires was reported on the evening of July 22nd, it was moving too quickly to be contained by an immediately dispatched helicopter delivering water from the air on the fire and by ground crews.
The fire suppression options were extremely limited due to the high winds and low visibility from the smoke.
Winds in some areas of the fire may have reached 150-180 km/h due to convective heat and a highly unstable atmosphere.
This made it too dangerous and created conditions where direct suppression is not effective.