In the line of fire: Firefighters face perilous conditions amid record season
Global News
At least four firefighters have died while on duty in Canada in recent weeks, bringing into sharp focus the inherent dangers of the job.
Raging flames, thick smoke, intense heat and rugged terrain. Firefighters across Canada are putting their lives at risk every day as they continue to grapple with a record wildfire season this year.
At least four firefighters have died while on duty in Canada in recent weeks, bringing into sharp focus the inherent dangers of the job in a rapidly changing environment.
“The impact has just been unbearable for some,” said Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC).
“This fire season in its entirety has been just one that we’ve never seen before and now to consider, we’ve lost four precious lives in the fight, it really takes a toll on everybody,” he told Global News in an interview.
Another death in British Columbia was reported over the weekend, when a 25-year-old wildland firefighter from Ontario was fatally injured while helping battle the largest forest fire in B.C.’s history.
Tributes have been pouring in for Zachery Freeman Muise, a Waterford, Ont., native, who was working in a remote area north of Fort St. John on Friday when the UTV he was riding rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road.
The latest fatality follows three other firefighters’ deaths last month in B.C., Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
On July 13, 19-year-old Devyn Gale died while combatting a wildfire near Revelstoke, B.C., after she was struck by a falling tree.