Thousands of wildfire evacuees return to Jasper, Canada [Video]

Thousands of residents who evacuated Jasper, a beloved tourist town in western Canada partly destroyed by a massive wildfire, were able to return Friday, authorities said.

Approximately 25,000 residents and tourists were forced to flee the area three weeks ago as the fire suddenly swelled, outpacing firefighters’ capabilities.

“It will be long, it will be difficult,” Mayor Richard Ireland said on social media Friday, adding that “we will rebuild, side by side, stronger than ever.”

The fire, touched off by lightning strikes in the drought-stricken area, destroyed more than 350 of the 1,100 buildings in the town, which is home to some 5,000 people.

As of Thursday evening, the fire was estimated to be 33,000 hectares (13,400 acres) in size, the biggest in a century to hit vast Jasper National Park, which attracts some 2.5 million tourists a year.

The fire could burn for months more, authorities have warned, scorching …