'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
CTV
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
“I like to be able to help people,” said the 18-year-old. “I like the fact that what I do in my work does good.”
Knull is a volunteer firefighter in the North Okanagan. She was working a summer job as part of the kitchen staff at a Jasper lodge when, on Monday night, an evacuation order was issued for the area.
“The smoke was coming up from the mountainside,” said Knull. “It was big.”
Knull quickly spread the word to guests of the lodge and tracked down any other people camping out in the area.
In total, she rallied 16 people together for a four-hour hike in treacherous terrain to safety.
“There was more intense smoke, my eyes were burning, there was ash falling constantly,” said Rebecca Tocher, a hiker who was in Knull’s group.
