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21 July 2023
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Canada mourns two wildfire fighter deaths
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Two fire fighters died in the line of duty just days apart while battling separate wildfires in Canada, one battling a fire near Revelstoke and the other battling fires near Fort Liard.
The British Columbia Wildfire Service said this weekend that 19-year-old fire fighter Devyn Gale had died on Thursday, 13 July 2023, while tackling the fire near Revelstoke. In a statement, Revelstoke RCMP said she had been clearing bush in a remote area where a fire had started. She lost contact with her team and was discovered caught under a fallen tree. First aid was administered and she was airlifted to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
In a tribute on their Facebook page, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said, “Devyn Gale was an initial attack crew member out of the Columbia Fire Zone in Revelstoke. She was a trusted colleague, a loving friend, a beloved sibling and a cherished daughter. She personified the iconic Reds and Blues of wildland fire fighting in British Columbia: she was bravery, grit, hard work, determination, leadership and selflessness. She was one of us. She was the heart of us. It is hard to articulate the connectedness of a community like ours. We work shoulder to shoulder for long hours in extremely challenging circumstances. Those experiences change you, they connect you, they sustain you. On Thursday night we learned we had lost one of our own.”
Northwest Territories fire fighter mourned
Also this weekend, the Government of Northwest Territories announced that a fire fighter had died on Saturday, 15 July 2023, while battling wildfires near Fort Liard, close to the border with British Columbia. Officials have not named the fire fighter but Environment and Climate Change Minister Shane Thompson issued the following statement, “I am deeply saddened by the news that a Fort Liard fire fighter has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire near their community on Saturday afternoon. My thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this unimaginable tragedy. I have spoken with the family to express my grief and to emphasize what a tremendous loss this is for everyone who knew them and for the community of Fort Liard.
“Fire fighters across the territory have my utmost respect for their continued efforts to protect our homes and our communities while facing such extreme conditions. This has already been a very challenging season for NWT fire fighters, with wildfires starting earlier than normal and within reach of our communities and other critical infrastructure. I commend all of our fire fighters for their commitment to protect our communities and other items of value. Their dedication to their work and by extension, our protection, does not go unnoticed but also makes this loss even more painful. To think that one of our own firefighters was lost protecting their own community is incredibly saddening. I want to send my deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. I share your deep sorrow at this loss.”
Prime minister sends condolences
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered condolences to the families of the fire fighters. “I’m incredibly saddened by the news from the Northwest Territories that another fire fighter has lost their life battling wildfires,” Trudeau tweeted Sunday. “To their family, their friends, and those they were heroically serving alongside: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts. We’re here for you.”
On Friday, he tweeted, “The news from British Columbia that one of the fire fighters bravely battling wildfires has lost her life, is heartbreaking. At this incredibly difficult time, I’m sending my deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and her fellow fire fighters.”
As of Monday, more than 10m hectares have burned across the country, an area the size of Iceland. Previously, the largest fire season on record was 34 years ago, when 7,6m hectares were left charred. But officials caution this year’s record-breaking season is only halfway done, with the sweltering temperatures expected to persist for the remainder of the summer.
With almost 900 fires burning, nearly 70 million people could once again experience poor air quality alerts from wildfire smoke, with the sooty haze of fires in western Canada expected to move eastwards to parts of the northern US and as far south as Alabama.
In addition to forcing more than 120,000 people from their homes, the fires have also at times halted oil and gas production in Alberta and burned through valuable timber stands on both sides of the country.
Derek Nighbor, head of the Forest Products Association of Canada, told the Canadian Press the “impact is significant”, with mills temporarily shutting down.
Earlier in the season, wildfires dealt a blow to Quebec’s forestry industry, with Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products warning 2023 was “shaping up to be the worst year in over three decades”.
In the country’s west, British Columbia, no stranger to hot summers and smoky skies, is grappling with 360 wildfires, a situation worsened by prolonged drought, hot weather and lightning strikes. On Monday, the province’s wildfire service said an “aggressive” fire cut off a highway after it grew rapidly in size over the weekend, alongside more than a dozen new blazes.
Source: Canadian Forest Industries, The Guardian
The British Columbia Wildfire Service said this weekend that 19-year-old fire fighter Devyn Gale had died on Thursday, 13 July 2023, while tackling the fire near Revelstoke. In a statement, Revelstoke RCMP said she had been clearing bush in a remote area where a fire had started. She lost contact with her team and was discovered caught under a fallen tree. First aid was administered and she was airlifted to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
In a tribute on their Facebook page, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said, “Devyn Gale was an initial attack crew member out of the Columbia Fire Zone in Revelstoke. She was a trusted colleague, a loving friend, a beloved sibling and a cherished daughter. She personified the iconic Reds and Blues of wildland fire fighting in British Columbia: she was bravery, grit, hard work, determination, leadership and selflessness. She was one of us. She was the heart of us. It is hard to articulate the connectedness of a community like ours. We work shoulder to shoulder for long hours in extremely challenging circumstances. Those experiences change you, they connect you, they sustain you. On Thursday night we learned we had lost one of our own.”
Northwest Territories fire fighter mourned
Also this weekend, the Government of Northwest Territories announced that a fire fighter had died on Saturday, 15 July 2023, while battling wildfires near Fort Liard, close to the border with British Columbia. Officials have not named the fire fighter but Environment and Climate Change Minister Shane Thompson issued the following statement, “I am deeply saddened by the news that a Fort Liard fire fighter has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire near their community on Saturday afternoon. My thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this unimaginable tragedy. I have spoken with the family to express my grief and to emphasize what a tremendous loss this is for everyone who knew them and for the community of Fort Liard.
“Fire fighters across the territory have my utmost respect for their continued efforts to protect our homes and our communities while facing such extreme conditions. This has already been a very challenging season for NWT fire fighters, with wildfires starting earlier than normal and within reach of our communities and other critical infrastructure. I commend all of our fire fighters for their commitment to protect our communities and other items of value. Their dedication to their work and by extension, our protection, does not go unnoticed but also makes this loss even more painful. To think that one of our own firefighters was lost protecting their own community is incredibly saddening. I want to send my deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. I share your deep sorrow at this loss.”
Prime minister sends condolences
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered condolences to the families of the fire fighters. “I’m incredibly saddened by the news from the Northwest Territories that another fire fighter has lost their life battling wildfires,” Trudeau tweeted Sunday. “To their family, their friends, and those they were heroically serving alongside: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts. We’re here for you.”
On Friday, he tweeted, “The news from British Columbia that one of the fire fighters bravely battling wildfires has lost her life, is heartbreaking. At this incredibly difficult time, I’m sending my deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and her fellow fire fighters.”
As of Monday, more than 10m hectares have burned across the country, an area the size of Iceland. Previously, the largest fire season on record was 34 years ago, when 7,6m hectares were left charred. But officials caution this year’s record-breaking season is only halfway done, with the sweltering temperatures expected to persist for the remainder of the summer.
With almost 900 fires burning, nearly 70 million people could once again experience poor air quality alerts from wildfire smoke, with the sooty haze of fires in western Canada expected to move eastwards to parts of the northern US and as far south as Alabama.
In addition to forcing more than 120,000 people from their homes, the fires have also at times halted oil and gas production in Alberta and burned through valuable timber stands on both sides of the country.
Derek Nighbor, head of the Forest Products Association of Canada, told the Canadian Press the “impact is significant”, with mills temporarily shutting down.
Earlier in the season, wildfires dealt a blow to Quebec’s forestry industry, with Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products warning 2023 was “shaping up to be the worst year in over three decades”.
In the country’s west, British Columbia, no stranger to hot summers and smoky skies, is grappling with 360 wildfires, a situation worsened by prolonged drought, hot weather and lightning strikes. On Monday, the province’s wildfire service said an “aggressive” fire cut off a highway after it grew rapidly in size over the weekend, alongside more than a dozen new blazes.
Source: Canadian Forest Industries, The Guardian