Jasper wildfire, a rate cut, Earth’s hottest days. This week’s big stories

The scenic town of Jasper, Alta., was devastated in a wildfire that engulfed Jasper National Park, Joe Biden addressed the nation for the first time after announcing he won’t run for re-election as U.S. president and the Earth set back-to-back records for the hottest day ever.

Plus, the Bank of Canada made its second back-to-back interest rate cut — and signalled more may be on the way.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest news stories that happened this week.

Jasper wildfires: Why rebuilding Alberta town may be ‘logistical nightmare’

As wildfires ripped through Jasper this week, there are growing concerns about the immediate toll on the community and the “logistical nightmare” of recovery that lies ahead.

Warren Singh, executive director of the Alberta Construction Association, said it is too soon to fully understand the extent of the damage and just assessing those could take up to six months.

Pointing to the example of Alberta’s Fort McMurray, which was swept by a ferocious 2016 wildfire, Singh said recovery for Jasper could also take five years or longer, depending on the damages.

He said rebuilding communities like Jasper could be a “logistical nightmare,” involving sorting out what is needed in terms of cleanup, critical infrastructure damage and reckoning with the effects of blazes on the local environment.

Jasper wildfire: Here’s how quickly flames engulfed a town

It took less than two days for fast-moving wildfires to reach the town, where multiple structures were burned Wednesday night.

Parks Canada first reported two wildfires burning within Jasper National Park — one north of the townsite, the other south — late Monday night. Before the night was over, the entire town and park were ordered to evacuate as crews