Ottawa, (Samajweekly) A 19-year-old firefighter lost her life while battling a raging wildfire in Canada, officials said.
As the country continues to battle its worst wildfire season on record, Devyn Gale was struck by a falling tree while working in a remote area near the town of Revelstoke, British Columbia, reports the BBC.
The officials said on Friday that Gale had been 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.
This is the first death on the ground since the start of Canada’s wildfire season — and reportedly the first in British Columbia since 2015.
Condoling her death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet on Friday: The news from British Columbia — that one of the firefighters bravely battling wildfires has lost her life — is heartbreaking. At this incredibly difficult time, I’m sending my deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and her fellow firefighters.
“We must never forget the risks these heroes take every time they run toward the danger. To firefighters in British Columbia and 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.”
About 900 wildfires are currently raging across Canada, out of which some 560 remain out of control.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the wildfire have burned more than 9.8m hectares of land so far this season, the BBC reported.
he figure is higher than for any previous year on record and more than three times the average for the previous 10 years.
British Colombia has been one of the worst-affected areas, with 365 active fires currently burning across the province.
On Thursday, the province put out a call for help from an additional 1,000 international fighters.
The wildfires have also sparked pollution alerts across North America as smoke is blown south along the continent’s eastern coast.
