B.C. Wildfire Service害羞草研究所檚 operations director says in his 21 years with the organization he害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渘ever felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season.害羞草研究所�
Cliff Chapman took the opportunity to address the recent wildland firefighter deaths in B.C. and the Northwest Territories and Alberta during Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 (Aug. 2) latest wildfire and drought update.
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READ MORE: Firefighter killed in B.C. identified as Zak Muise of Kelowna
害羞草研究所淚 started as a firefighter as a 17-year-old kid and have worked my way through the organization to now where I害羞草研究所檓 director of provincial operations of the Wildfire service. I害羞草研究所檝e never felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season with the tragic loss of two individuals with B.C. wildfires.害羞草研究所�
Crews are doing OK, but it害羞草研究所檚 heavy.
害羞草研究所淭here is a lot of grief within the organization and beyond.害羞草研究所�
But Chapman said crews continue to show up everyday to support the firefighting effort on the ground, while making the difficult decision to leave their families and livelihoods behind.
It was the first weekly update since news broke that another wildfire firefighter was killed while working.
Zak Muise, 25, has been identified as the firefighter who was killed while assisting with the Donnie Creek wildfire, near Fort. St. John. It害羞草研究所檚 B.C.害羞草研究所檚 largest wildfire at more than 583,000 hectares as of July 25.
B.C. Wildfire Service and Fort St. John RCMP confirmed the death Saturday, noting Muise was working in a remote area, about 150 kilometres north of Fort St. John, when the UTV he was riding on, rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road.
Muise, a Kelowna resident, is the second firefighter to die in B.C. this season, and the fourth in Canada.
On July 13, 19-year-old Devyn Gale died while working near Revelstoke. It was her third year with the service.
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The loss of life, Chapman said, is not something that crews have experienced a great deal in B.C. in the last decade or two and it害羞草研究所檚 not something they want to experience again going forward.
害羞草研究所淭he truth is: Humans are the centre of emergencies, whether that害羞草研究所檚 the people who are impacted or the people who are there trying to limit the impact.害羞草研究所�
Asked about the level of danger, he said to consider when an evacuation order is put in place: A community is leaving due to the threat of wildfire, but B.C. Wildfire Service crews are 害羞草研究所済oing the other way, toward that response to try and protect the community.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭here are inherent dangers with that.害羞草研究所�
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However, there are times when it害羞草研究所檚 too dangerous to send in crews.
Pointing to the recent fire in Osoyoos, Chapman said it was extremely aggressive and 害羞草研究所渨e can害羞草研究所檛 put humans in front of that fire.
害羞草研究所淭hat fire is extremely dangerous and it is moving so fast that our people have, obviously, significant training on what to do, what to know about the weather, what to know about the fire behaviour and when is the time to pull back based on the conditions that they see.害羞草研究所�
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lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
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