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