Richard Ireland's eyes are filled with tears as he silently looks at his home and sees the memories of his life burning, turned to ashes.

Then, Jasper's mayor bends over what remains of the small cozy house he grew up in - a piece of a concrete wall - and says that all he can think of is a framed picture taken after his family moved in when he was two years old, lost somewhere among the rubble.

The 69-year-old man said on Friday during his first visit to the site where his home once stood in the historic resort town in the Rocky Mountains before a wildfire destroyed it: "We grew up here... a family of five children and our parents, and there was always at least one grandparent living with us."

"Life was like that back in those days... an extended family under one roof. My home was full of memories," he says, holding back tears, his lips trembling.

His siblings moved away after that, and more memories were formed about his children who grew up in the house. He mourns the hundreds of photos taken of those moments that have now turned to ashes.

But despite the ashes of his home lying beneath his feet, Ireland says he is happy that his garage still stands, with his grandchildren's toys inside.

He says, "We will rebuild."

He points out that the homes of his neighbors on either side of his house remain unscathed, reflecting how the wildfires randomly destroyed a third of all buildings in Jasper, most of them in the western part of town, or left them gray and warped and covered in soot.

On a tour of the town with Ireland, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and dignitaries on Friday, the indiscriminate nature of the wildfires can be seen everywhere, with the stunning mountain peaks of Jasper National Park overlooking the devastation.

A trailer park on Cabin Creek Road in west Jasper was destroyed, and the twisted pieces of metal scrap that remain are covered in gray ash and black soot.

The burned wreck of a bright yellow pickup truck sits nearby with its metal skiing plate melted onto the concrete. Piles of smoke rise from the ground in some areas. Broken glass is scattered everywhere.

However, a row of homes across the street survived.

Household items, such as chairs, tires, propane tanks, and Halloween decorations, can be seen on the sidewalk in front of the homes.

James Eatham, an information officer with Parks Canada who was part of the tour, said these items are highly flammable and were removed by firefighters as a precaution while around 5,000 Jasper residents and 20,000 visitors were forced to flee on Monday night as two fires advanced towards the town from the north and south.

The famous Maligne Lodge in Jasper burned on Wednesday when winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour drove a wall of fire 100 meters high into the town.

On Friday, the lodge's sign remained standing while the lodge itself was destroyed on Connaught Drive. Only the structure of the room entrances remained, with firefighters seen pouring water on it.

The tattered red chairs where tourists once rested were seen in front of the lodge.

On the street, a Petro-Canada gas station was destroyed. The silver steel structures of the gas pumps were seen collapsing, with pieces of wood from the station's roof scattered on the ground.

Nearby, only a few feet of a burned brick wall and the towers of St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church remain, where Jasper residents have gathered since 1928 for prayer and weddings.

In other parts of the town, cars were parked in fields of grass, away from flammable homes. Residents had abandoned them there before fleeing.

Piles of burned wood and other unidentified materials were pushed into mounds by excavators throughout the town.

After the tour, Ireland told reporters he feels hopeful despite the destruction of 30 percent of the Jasper townsite.

He said, "This is important because we have 70 percent of the base to work from."

He added that he plans to tackle the rebuilding of Jasper knowing that he is going through what many other residents are experiencing after losing their homes.

He said, "Their pain is unimaginable. I feel their pain."