B.C. Wildfire Service91裸聊视频檚 operations director says in his 21 years with the organization he91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渘ever felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season.91裸聊视频�
Cliff Chapman took the opportunity to address the recent wildland firefighter deaths in B.C. and the Northwest Territories and Alberta during Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 (Aug. 2) latest wildfire and drought update.
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READ MORE: Firefighter killed in B.C. identified as Zak Muise of Kelowna
91裸聊视频淚 started as a firefighter as a 17-year-old kid and have worked my way through the organization to now where I91裸聊视频檓 director of provincial operations of the Wildfire service. I91裸聊视频檝e never felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season with the tragic loss of two individuals with B.C. wildfires.91裸聊视频�
Crews are doing OK, but it91裸聊视频檚 heavy.
91裸聊视频淭here is a lot of grief within the organization and beyond.91裸聊视频�
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. It91裸聊视频檚 B.C.91裸聊视频檚 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 it91裸聊视频檚 not something they want to experience again going forward.
91裸聊视频淭he truth is: Humans are the centre of emergencies, whether that91裸聊视频檚 the people who are impacted or the people who are there trying to limit the impact.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频済oing the other way, toward that response to try and protect the community.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭here are inherent dangers with that.91裸聊视频�
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However, there are times when it91裸聊视频檚 too dangerous to send in crews.
Pointing to the recent fire in Osoyoos, Chapman said it was extremely aggressive and 91裸聊视频渨e can91裸聊视频檛 put humans in front of that fire.
91裸聊视频淭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.91裸聊视频�
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lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
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