"It was truly a community in ash”
Jodi Manz-Henezi is no stranger to crisis. For more than 15 years, the NAIT Disaster and Emergency Management chair has participated in responses to some of Alberta’s worst disasters, including the 2013 southern Alberta floods and the 2016 Fort McMurray Horse River fire.
But the 2024 Jasper wildfire was different for her.
Last September, after almost a third of the townsite was razed in a 32,722-hectare blaze, Manz-Henezi stepped in after the ash had settled. Volunteering with disaster response organization Team Rubicon, she helped sift through building remains to return valuables and mementos to homeowners.
But Manz-Henezi was searching on her own behalf, too. As a practitioner and educator, she’d fallen into routines that threatened to undermine the true meaning of the work.
“I was starting to forget foundational things,” she says. “Why did I come into this field of practice to begin with?”
Manz-Henezi wants disasters to be handled safely and efficiently, but also wants to be “kind and empathetic, and to contribute to the human experience in some positive and beautiful way. I needed to feel more like a ‘servant leader,’” she says, “and not just talk about it.”
In her words, here’s how and why she tried to do that over roughly a week last summer in Jasper.
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Birth of the blaze
“July 22, 2024 was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth. This was also the day the first fire broke out north of the Jasper townsite. Thirty minutes later, another fire was reported south of town. About 10 minutes after that, two more fires started [to the] south. These fires are thought to be caused by lightning strikes.
“Due to the high winds, the fires south of town merged and became too large for firefighters to manage. About three hours after the first fire started, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued an evacuation order for Jasper in the surrounding area. This was expanded 20 minutes later to include the entire national park.
“Twenty-five thousand people were evacuated. The fire reached the outskirts of the town of Jasper on July 24 [and], within 40 minutes, parts of the town were on fire. It was the largest wildfire recorded in Jasper [in] 100 years.”
A town in ruins
“Re-entry started on August 16 and it was very slow – the fire perimeter was only deemed 100% controlled on September 7. Three hundred fifty eight of the 1,100 structures in and around Jasper were destroyed. Some of the buildings were intentionally destroyed to create fire breaks.
“A lot of critical infrastructure was, at the very least, severely interrupted. Rail, telecommunications, electric, gas services – everything was damaged. It was truly a community in ash.”
Operation Wild Rose
“I stepped in for what [Team Rubicon] called Operation Wild Rose from September 6 to 14. Our mission was to help home homeowners retrieve items of physical or sentimental value that may be in the ashes. So, sift the ash, provide comfort to the residents, help them find closure.
“The houses were burned to the foundations, but they were filled with toxic ash and debris that was a few inches to [several] feet deep. That debris included sharp metal: springs from couches and beds, shells of appliances and furnaces, nails and broken glass. We had to keep our eyes open for dangers all around us.
“You know that you're working hard when you can feel the sweat running down your back and filling up your boots.”
“In addition, we were usually working in 30 C temperatures. When you're wearing a [hazmat] suit and a respirator, you can only stay in the hot zone for about 15 minutes. You'd have to come out, decontaminate, and doff all safety [equipment] to cool off and rehydrate.
“You know that you're working hard when you can feel the sweat running down your back and filling up your boots.”
Ashes and tears
“The most common asks were for things like wedding rings, war medals, photographs, safes, and urns of people and pets.
“We didn't find everything; sometimes we found nothing. We had some back-to-back sifts that were really difficult and unsuccessful, and I cried a lot those days. I cried with my team. I cried with the homeowners, with the other volunteers.
“But, overall, I can say we found a lot more than people may have expected.”
Amazing Jasperites
“Jasperites are amazing people. Local volunteers would arrive at the Royal Canadian Legion at 4:30 a.m. to start cooking for the first responders in town.
“I witnessed incredible acts of kindness throughout the week."
“Every day after breakfast, we would receive a brown-bag lunch prepared by local volunteers. And every day each of us would get a personal, handwritten message in our bag. These became things we looked forward to – these funny and sometimes emotional messages of love, support and encouragement.
“I witnessed incredible acts of kindness throughout the week. People would run out of their houses to give each other hugs, give us hugs, come and drop off baking. It was just amazing.”
A more resilient future
“What comes next? The forest will return and be healthier. The people of Jasper are also going to recover. Based on what I saw – their love of the community [and] their natural environment – I foresee a strong future for them.
“I was thrilled to see Parks Canada and the Town of Jasper make some really important changes that are guiding reconstruction. There are new development requirements for rebuilds that include mandatory compliance to FireSmart Canada principles, including no wood siding or roofing, a 1.5-metre buffer zone of nonflammable materials around every structure, [and more].”
“They're also addressing other risks related to the changing demographics and climate change, such as [by] encouraging net-zero builds.”
Connected and reconnected
“This was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I'm forever connected to Jasper and all of the amazing human beings who came to help. I worked hard. I sweated a lot. But I also reconnected with the reasons that brought me to my field to begin with.
“We have a lot of work to do. No community is immune."
“I know that I care, and I want to help others on their worst days. And I want to help communities lessen their disaster risks through targeted education and awareness.
“We have a lot of work to do. No community is immune. And I know I have an even more important role to play.”