Flames rise along the edge of a wildfire, as seen from a Canadian Forces helicopter surveying the area near Mistissini, Quebec, Canada, June 12, 2023. Photo by Cpl Marc-André Leclerc/Canadian Forces /Handout via Reuters
A firefighter has died battling one of the massive fires that have devastated Canadian forests this year, the premier of British Columbia announced on Saturday.
It was the third fatality of a firefighter during this devastating wildfire season.
“I am devastated to learn that we have lost another wildfire fighter. My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of this frontline hero,” Prime Minister David Eby said in a statement.
Eby did not identify the contract firefighter, but authorities said the victim was at the Donnie Creek Fire near Fort St John in the northeast of the province.
Two other firefighters perished in separate operations this month, and a fourth person, a helicopter pilot, died on July 19 when his plane crashed in Alberta, western Canada, while he was involved in relief operations.
Wildfires in Canada have burned some 30 million acres (12 million hectares) this year, scorching an area larger than the size of Cuba or South Korea.
“This wildfire season has been deeply horrific,” said Eby, who hailed firefighters as heroes making “extraordinary sacrifices … to keep us safe.”
British Columbia currently has 368 active fires. In total, more than 990 fires are ravaging Canada, of which 613 are considered out of control.
Canada’s geographic location means it is warming faster than the rest of the planet, and in recent years it has faced extreme weather events that have become more frequent and intense due to climate change.
