Christy Cooney - BBC News
Sun, July 16, 2023
A wildfire raging earlier this month in British Colombia - where another firefighter lost her life in recent days
A second firefighter has been killed in Canada as the country battles its worst season of wildfires on record.
The person, who has not yet been named, died from injuries sustained while fighting a fire near Fort Liard in the Northwest Territories on Saturday.
It comes just days after 19-year-old Devyn Gale was killed while working in neighbouring British Columbia.
Nearly 900 wildfires are currently burning across Canada, about 580 of which remain out of control.
So far this season, the fires have burned more than 10m hectares (24.7m acres) of land, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
The figure is higher than for any previous year on record and more than three times the average for the previous ten years.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "incredibly saddened" by the news that a second firefighter had lost their life, and sent his condolences to their family.
Caroline Cochrane, premier of the Northwest Territories, said the death was a "tragic loss for the entire territory".
"I extend my heartfelt condolences to their family, friends and colleagues," she said.
"The bravery and selflessness of our firefighters is an incredible gift to us all. Thank you for your service to our territory and to our country."
Ms Gale's death was the first death on the ground since the start of Canada's wildfire season - and reportedly the first in British Columbia since 2015.
Afterwards, Mr Trudeau said Canadians "must never forget the risks these heroes take every time they run toward the danger".
"To firefighters... across the country who are doing just that to keep us safe: Thank you. We are inspired by your courage, and grateful for your service," he said.
Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
Canada is estimated to be warming twice as fast as the rest of the world and in recent years has seen extreme weather events of increasing frequency and intensity.
The wildfires have also sparked pollution alerts across North America as smoke is blown south along the continent's eastern coast.
Trudeau pays tribute to brave 19-year-old killed fighting wildfires
Susie Coen
Sat, July 15, 2023
Devyn Gale was described by her brother as 'careful, considerate, hardworking'
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, has paid tribute to a brave 19-year-old firefighter who was killed while helping to tackle the country’s worst wildfire season on record.
Devyn Gale, who was also a competitive gymnast, was hit by a falling tree while working in a remote area near the town of Revelstoke, British Columbia.
She is the first firefighter to die in Canada this year and the first in British Columbia since 2015.
Mr Trudeau described the news as heartbreaking and sent his “deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and her fellow firefighters”.
The prime minister wrote on Twitter:
Officials said a female firefighter was found caught under a tree after becoming separated from the rest of her team while clearing an area of brush.
She was airlifted to hospital but died on Thursday.
Images of the young firefighter were shared on social media
In a moving tribute identifying the victim, Nolan Gale described his sister as “careful, considerate, hardworking”.
Writing on Instagram, he said she was an “amazing sister” and thanked her “for everything she’s done for me and others, completely out of kindness with no expectation for reciprocation”.
Fuelled by drought and hot conditions, Canada is having its worst wildfire season in recorded history, having witnessed more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) burn so far this year.
The prior all-time high occurred in 1989, when 7.3 million hectares of land were burned, according to national figures from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
With 365 active fires currently burning, British Columbia has been one of the worst-affected areas. Earlier this week, it put out a call for help from an additional 1,000 international firefighters.
The United States, Australia, Spain and France are among the 11 countries to have helped send a record 3,200 firefighters to battle the fires.
Last month, smoke from the Canadian wildfires blanketed states on the east coast. New York sporting events were cancelled and residents advised to stay at home due to poor air quality.
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