Fire-restoration companies work to bring Jasper homes back to life after surviving wildfires

Jasper residents fortunate enough to have their home or business spared from the massive blaze that destroyed one-third of the community are now confronting repairs and cleaning needed to bring their properties back to life – a job only possible with the help of disaster-restoration specialists who tackle the obvious and sometimes invisible damage left behind.
Numerous restoration companies from across Alberta are now part of the widespread effort to make Jasper livable again after flames wiped out hundreds of structures last month. Smoke, soot and other odours burrowed deep in walls and furniture, water damage as a result of firefighting efforts and spoiled appliances are just some of the issues residents who still have homes are facing.
Herb Robinson, a fourth-generation Jasperite, said the smell of rotten food permeated the air when he walked into his home this week for the first time since fleeing on July 22. He said items in his fridge had leaked onto the floor leaving behind a mess that looked like blood.
Further inspection also revealed char and soot that had seeped through his windows despite being closed as the fire engulfed parts of the community.
“I think our house is probably going to be habitable,” he said, but as to when: “That’s a good question.”
With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires across the country, disaster restoration is a reality in many communities from British Columbia to Newfoundland.
Mr. Robinson, speaking to The Globe and Mail from Jasper on Friday, said a representative from Envirospec assessed his home and rental property, which is directly next door, for damages. The rental home fared worse as its windows were left open.
He said samples are being sent to a laboratory to test for asbestos, and other work will be needed to rid the spaces of toxic particles left behind by the wildfire. Next week, another company contracted by his insurance adjuster will determine what type of cleaning is required. Until then, he has an air purifier running full time to help clean up the invisible mess.
“I have three grandchildren who live in that house, so better safe than sorry,” said Mr. Robinson.
Sung Yoon, chief executive officer of PHS Disaster Services Edmonton, has a team of 15 working on homes in Jasper but said he wishes he could have dozens more staff on-site for support. Accommodation, he said, has been the biggest challenge as there is nowhere to stay in town, and hotels to the east in Hinton and west in Valemount are filled with evacuees and other workers.
Mr. Yoon said clearing soot and smoke from inside residences is the crux of the work, which involves HEPA air scrubbers, vacuum trucks to clear HVAC systems and general cleaning and deodorizing. He said they are also removing “white goods,” such as refrigerators, and evaluating the structural integrity of homes.
“There’s a big army of restoration companies out there going gangbusters,” he said.
Mr. Yoon, who has been in the industry for about 25 years and previously worked in places such as Fort McMurray and Slave Lake after their devastating fires, said one of the complexities of working in Jasper is navigating the permit process through Parks Canada. He said it can be a slow and involved process, which could delay work to bring the community back to life.
Natural disasters across Canada are becoming more frequent, more severe and more costly. In the past month alone, Montreal and Toronto faced significant flooding that damaged cars and properties, a massive landslide blocked the Chilcotin River in B.C.’s Interior, a hailstorm beat down on Calgary and wildfires continued to ravage the Jasper area.
The insurance industry, which was paying out about $700-million annually about 15 years ago, dispersed a whopping $3-billion for severe weather damages in both 2022 and 2023. Insurance experts predict high payouts to continue as climate change intensifies.
While this is increasing the demand for disaster-restoration specialists, attracting talent to the industry is a continuing problem.
That’s why Humber College in Toronto has developed a Disaster Recovery Manager Certificate Program – the first of its kind in Canada – that will welcome its initial cohort next month. John McNeil, who worked with industry leaders to develop the program, said he hopes it attracts new Canadians, career changers and high school graduates to the field.
“It is an industry dying for talent,” said Mr. McNeil, an associate dean with Humber’s Longo Faculty of Business. He said no one really dreams about working in this industry but stressed that it is recession proof because of the frequency of natural disasters.