Jasper Wildfire Complex: Rapid Response & Post-Disaster Damage Assessment

Executive Summary

Primary Objective: High-resolution aerial mapping and pipe locating for immediate right of way and damage assessment and geohazard mitigation following the 2024 wildfire event.

The Challenge

Complexity & Evolving Mandates

Following the July 2024 wildfire breach of the Jasper townsite, stakeholders mobilized an immediate infrastructure recovery mission to restore essential services. This response prioritized a 25km emergency pipeline inspection to verify depth of cover and right-of-way condition, ensuring the safe delivery of resources back to the community. Simultaneously, an expedited LiDAR mission was deployed to address the compromised power supply to the Jasper Tramway; this survey captured slope and wire data, providing the critical technical groundwork required to design and implement a new, secure power route.

The Problem

Extensive damage to the power distribution network and the Jasper Tramway required a "Digital Twin" to assess on-and-off Right-of-Way (ROW) conditions.

Ground-Level Obstacles

Locating the 25km of ATCO pipeline required navigating fallen trees and unstable ground. Traditional access was non-existent; crews had to traverse high-slope, soot-covered terrain to identify and flag critical infrastructure.

Technical Constraints

UAVs (Drones) were strictly prohibited within the National Park. MSI had to adapt by mounting a Riegl VUX-240 high-grade LiDAR sensor to a helicopter to achieve the necessary data density.

Precision Requirements

For the Tramway, the mission required locating the original powerline—a 2-inch target—obscured on the ground, to provide the design team with the data needed for a new route alignment.

Timeline Pressure

MSI committed to a 24-hour emergency mobilization to be on-site and begin the collection of critical Pipeline Depth of Cover (DOC) and ROW data.

The MSI Approach

An Extension of Your Team

MSI deployed a rapid-response aerial unit that functioned as a primary visual and geodetic intelligence source for the recovery task force.

Field Grit

Survey teams manually navigated the 25km pipeline corridor, clearing debris and managing the hazards of fallen trees to ensure every geodetic point was captured accurately despite the terrain.

Technical Precision

The helicopter-mounted VUX-240 ensured that the aerial point cloud was dense enough to supplement ground efforts, identifying the 2-inch powerline and providing a "bare earth" model of the charred landscape.

Integrated Workflow

Functioning as a technical extension of ATCO and the Jasper Tramway, MSI coordinated air and ground logistics to capture the entire ROW corridor in a single mobilization window.

Data Hosting

ROW condition data was integrated into GeoView, allowing stakeholders to view the visual state of the corridor alongside the geodetic data.

Results

Accountability & Data Performance

Linear Infrastructure Recovery

Successfully located and verified 25km of ATCO pipeline, navigating extreme ground obstacles and downed timber to confirm asset integrity.

Precision Engineering

Located the 2-inch diameter powerline for the Jasper Tramway, providing the foundational data for the immediate re-routing of the system.

Response Reliability

Met the 24-hour mobilization mandate, ensuring that pipeline integrity assessments were not delayed by geomatics logistics.

Deliverable Cycle

Maintained a one-week turnaround for all processed LiDAR and ROW deliverables, despite the physical complexity of the ground-truth operations.

Geographic Reach: A North American Footprint

While our headquarters remains in Calgary, our operational reach has expanded alongside our technical capabilities. In 2005, we began by serving Alberta and British Columbia. Today, MSI is a cross-border geospatial partner with the proven ability to mobilize in diverse and extreme environments.

info@msciences.ca

Jasper Fire Response