ItB次元官网网址檚 been hard to find a hotel room in Hinton, Alta., lately.

Firefighters from across Canada and around the world have been calling the town of 10,000 home since late July after joining the fight against massive wildfires some 75 kilometres down the highway in Jasper National Park.

Also stationed in Hinton for the past few weeks have been Parks Canada, Red Cross and Alberta Emergency Management Agency personnel, as well as some of the 5,000 Jasper, Alta. residents ordered out on July 22.

Less than 48 hours after the evacuation order was issued, the fires reached the townsite and destroyed 358 buildings, or a third of the communityB次元官网网址檚 structures. That included some 800 housing units.

An estimated $283 million in property value was wiped out.

Hinton officials and community leaders say the town will continue to do all it can to support its municipal neighbour, despite dealing with their own issues as a result of the fires.

B次元官网网址淲e all have colleagues and friends and family that live and work out of Jasper,B次元官网网址� said Tyler Waugh, executive director of the Hinton Chamber of Commerce.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of people didnB次元官网网址檛 even know how to help, but they just got into action and tried to do something just to show support.B次元官网网址�

Local restaurants have been preparing free meals for firefighters and evacuees, while community groups have been amassing donations to make sure those who lost everything have clothes and other basics.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had more help and assistance for displaced people than weB次元官网网址檝e actually had displaced people,B次元官网网址� said HintonB次元官网网址檚 Mayor Nicholas Nissen.

B次元官网网址淓veryoneB次元官网网址檚 telling me that HintonB次元官网网址檚 been great to work with, that the people of Hinton have been very welcoming, and thatB次元官网网址檚 the community that I moved into and thatB次元官网网址檚 the community I was attracted to originally.B次元官网网址�

Both Nissen and Waugh said many businesses have been struggling from lost visitors due to the park closure.

B次元官网网址淏usinesses have tried to do what they can B次元官网网址� but a lot of them have been doing this to their own detriment,B次元官网网址� said Waugh, who also publishes and edits a weekly community newspaper called the Hinton Voice.

B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檝e gone through pales in comparison. But at the same time, thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of businesses in town that are hurting right now.B次元官网网址�

The chamber is surveying businesses to get a clearer understanding of the fireB次元官网网址檚 direct impacts, but he said itB次元官网网址檚 possible some businesses have needed to lay off staff.

Not every business is in such dire straits.

The owner of the Hinton Home Hardware Building Centre said heB次元官网网址檚 hired extra staff in preparation for the rebuild as heB次元官网网址檚 expecting many Jasper residents will stop in for anything from cleaning supplies to new appliances now that they have been allowed to return home and start rebuilding.

B次元官网网址淎ll of a sudden the needs that we generally supply the community changed,B次元官网网址� said Marcel Preville, who has been running the hardware store since the fall of 2020.

Shortly after the fire hit town, Preville said he reached out to friends in Fort McMurray who went through its 2016 wildfire evacuation to get a better idea of what supplies he should keep in stock over the coming weeks and months.

He determined that fridges and freezers would be a priority.

B次元官网网址淪o within three days, we had 150 fridges and freezers sitting in our store,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e need to go in hard and fast and we need to co-ordinate everything and we need to get it in there because people want to get back to normal and they want to live in their homes and they need food B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e tired of eating out.B次元官网网址�

Besides appliances, Preville said heB次元官网网址檚 stocked up on air filters for furnaces and air conditioners as well as cleaning supplies that wonB次元官网网址檛 chemically react to the fire retardant used in Jasper. He also ordered extra duct tape.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 more prepared to be able to help the community next to our community than our community,B次元官网网址� he said.

Considering the likelihood that not every Jasper resident will return and rebuild, like what was seen after the Fort McMurray fire, Nissen said he thinks Hinton is in a B次元官网网址渦niqueB次元官网网址� position to absorb a sudden population increase, whether itB次元官网网址檚 temporary or permanent.

B次元官网网址淚 think that we will absorb the folks that we need to fairly well,B次元官网网址� said Nissen. B次元官网网址淲e even have plenty of land, we can get work camps and temporary housing set up as needed.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淗inton is going to be here, and weB次元官网网址檙e going to continue to do everything we can to support our neighbours and help them get their paradise built back to paradise standards.B次元官网网址�

Welcoming Jasper residents back to the national park on Friday morning was HintonB次元官网网址檚 fire chief Mac de Beaudrap.

Standing next to a Hinton fire truck on the side of Highway 16 that morning, through rain, clouds and sunshine, he waved to each and every group headed home.

Many honked, smiled, and waved right back.

READ ALSO:

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press