Tornado researcher says firestorm damage in Jasper unlike anything he's ever seen
According to a team of tornado researchers, the Jasper National Park wildfire may have spawned a rare fire tornado – or even two.
Aaron Jaffe, a lead surveyor for the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), is part of a team studying the destruction left by a fire storm in the Wabasso Campground area this summer.
"I didn't even fully know that a fire could produce that much wind damage," he said.
"It was these huge areas over a kilometre wide and several kilometres long at a time of just almost every single tree uprooted and snapped."
Jaffe and his team recently spent a week surveying the area, around 10 kilometres south of the townsite, where the wildfire grew so intense that updrafts created a pyroculonimbus cloud.
Jaffe said drone, radar, and satellite images of the site will help the team study tree-fall and debris patterns to determine if that storm spawned a rare fire tornado.
While the analysis will take several months, Jaffe said it takes a "very significant" tornado or wind system to leave the devastation seen by the team.
"It's unlike any level of fire-induced wind damage that I've ever seen," Jaffe said.
"We have to look through the data and do some analysis, but it's possible that there were one or several fire tornadoes there."
A stretch of Jasper National Park can be seen with trees ripped up and knocked down by high winds created during a fire storm in late July. Researchers believe a fire tornado may be responsible for the damage. (Western Engineering Severe Storm Survey Team) Fire tornadoes, according to Jaffe, are rare phenomena. If confirmed, this would be the second documented case in Canada.
The first was confirmed by the NTP in Gun Lake, B.C. last August.
In Jasper, Parks Canada officials estimated the winds from the fire storm reached between 150 km/h and 180 km/h - the equivalent to an EF-1 Tornado.
"Based on the level of damage I saw, I would not at all be surprised by wind speeds that were equivalent, if not potentially even higher than that," Jaffe said.
Like regular tornado research, Jaffe and the NTP believe that studying these rare storms could lead to better prevention or preparation for future events as extreme fires become more common in Canada.
"Once we have a better understanding of them, maybe one day we'd be able to predict what kind of fires might produce them," Jaffe said. "Where they might happen, what we might be able to do to help reduce the damage they cause."
A stretch of Jasper National Park can be seen with trees ripped up and knocked down by high winds created during a fire storm in late July. Researchers believe a fire tornado may be responsible for the damage. (Western Engineering Severe Storm Survey Team) The federal conservatives recently criticized Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, saying it did not do enough to limit the Jasper wildfire complex.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said almost $7 million has been spent to remove mountain pine beetle infested trees, which have been blamed for helping drive extreme fire behaviour in the park.
Since 2014, Guilbeault said around 1,700 hectares of trees have been removed. However, the conservatives say that's less than 10 per cent of the recommended spending for tree removal.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny and Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
Democrats Abroad Canada warns U.S. voters to take action ahead of possible Canada Post strike
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Orphaned squirrel who became social media star was euthanized after being seized from New York home
An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said Friday.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.