At approximately noon Sunday, the Chetamon wildfire spread to the ATCO electric powerline.

At approximately 2 pm, the wildfire began to impact power poles. Unseasonably hot weather and strong winds continue to create challenging conditions for air and ground firefighting efforts to steer this wildfire away from critical infrastructure and highway 16.

At approximately 2:45 pm, the wind became dominant from the west and started pushing the wildfire back into the ATCO, TransMountain and CN lines.

Smoke is obscuring parts of the fire but the current size is estimated to be approximately over 1500 hectares and obscured by smoke limiting the ability to get an accurate size.

Critical infrastructure protection measures in place at key places, but more aggressive wildfire activity has made it unsafe for firefighters on the ground to continue.

The wildfire situation develops and changes continuously. It is imperative that visitors and residents of Jasper follow updates on social media and recommendations from the town, respect area closures, and follow reduced speed limits.

Parks Canada, ATCO and the Municipality of Jasper have been and continue to prepare for various scenarios over the next few days to prepare for any potentially significant changes in wildfire spread and direction.