Parks Canada rejected criticism that it left the town of Jasper vulnerable to wildfires by not removing more mountain pine beetle killed trees. Nearly a third of Jasper’s structures were destroyed by wildfire last week. …all fires in the town are now extinguished, but blazes continue to burn throughout Jasper National Park and there is no timeline for when residents can return home. …the park has been ravaged by mountain pine beetle… Some forestry experts have criticized Parks Canada for being too focused on preserving natural forest ecosystems and not doing more to remove beetle-affected trees around Jasper. Head of the agency Ron Hallman said pine beetle was a factor in the wildfire, but Parks Canada had done everything it reasonably could to reduce the risk over many decades. …Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said … the reason 70% of structures had not burned was because of steps taken by Parks Canada to protect the community.