VALEMOUNT, BC — “Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate now,” warned Alberta emergency officials. On July 22, 2024, 30-kilometre-an-hour winds had swept two small fires into flames up to 50 metres high. Unable to contain the blaze, firefighters pulled back, and soon, thousands of people were sent fleeing. …But Jasper is not the only town suffering from the disaster’s fallout. As the fire approached, many fled west into the neighbouring province of British Columbia. Within hours, the Village of Valemount — BC’s northernmost resort town — ballooned with more than 20,000 people, more than 20 times its normal population. Locals opened their homes and restaurants. The municipal government set up public facilities for evacuees needing a place to sleep and bathe. …“We basically had 20,000 people. Then we had no people,” said Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson. …By the time most of the displaced had left, Valemount’s August high season had passed.