A wildfire this week in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies destroyed more than 350 structures, but all critical infrastructure is intact, officials said Friday.

The rapid fire, which forced 25,000 people to flee the town of Jasper and the adjacent park, damaged 30% of that town. Parks Canada, the entity responsible for managing Canada's national parks, said that of a total of 1,113 structures in the city, 358 had been destroyed.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said all critical infrastructure had been saved.

“Many homes and businesses have been lost,” Danielle Smith, premier of the province of Alberta, said at a news conference in Hinton, Alta., where a command center was established. “About 70% of the city was not damaged. »

Smith said Jasper residents won't be able to return home for several weeks, adding they are rushing emergency funds to help them.

“Some of our residents, most of them, will have a home to return to; others, no,” Ireland said. “There will be a sad mix of people who have lost their homes and their livelihoods. This is going to be difficult. “The pain that will be felt will be indescribable.”

No injuries were reported during the mass evacuation of the picturesque resort and national park.

Parks Canada officials said Jasper's hospital, schools and wastewater treatment plant were safe. They added that the most significant damage is concentrated on the west side of the city.

Jasper and neighboring Jasper National Park were threatened by fires coming from the north and south, and the town's 5,000 residents, along with 20,000 visitors, fled Monday and Tuesday when the fires broke out.

“This fire was huge and spread quickly,” Ireland said. “It was blown by the wind.”