Hinton endures tight housing market in wake of Jasper fire [Video]

Flames forced everyone but the firefighters to leave Jasper in late July.

They returned to devastation.

The fast-moving wildfire destroyed or damaged 356 buildings in Jasper National Park’s townsite – one-third of the community.

And while not all of them were residential, Jasper lost 820 housing units as a result, leaving about 1,800 residents – more than a third of the town’s population of 4,800 – homeless.

Town staff say Jasperites spread far and wide – to Edmonton, British Columbia, even as far away as California – but many landed as close to home as possible: in Hinton.

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Hinton realtor Jeff MacLeod says those evacuees entered a competitive housing market.

Those who could afford it bought a house. MacLeod says some of those homes had previously been rentals.

“You now have one less rental (on the market),” said MacLeod, …