BC Workers’ Agency Says Tree Was Identified as a Danger Before Firefighter’s Death

A report from British Columbia’s worker safety agency says the potential dangers of a burning cedar tree were identified but not acted upon before it fell, killing a young wildland firefighter and injuring two others last summer. WorkSafeBC’s 21-page incident investigation report highlighted ineffective hazard management, inadequate supervision, training and orientation of young workers, unsafe work procedures and normalization of risk. Nineteen-year-old Devyn Gale, was killed when a burning tree struck her while she was fighting a wildfire northeast of Revelstoke last July. “Even though the hazard of the burning cedar was reported, no actions were taken to eliminate or mitigate the risks,” said the report dated July 2, 2024. “This contravenes regulatory requirements, as well as the procedures outlined in the Wildlife/Dangerous Tree Assessor Course, the fire crew training standard and (BC Wildfire Service’s) safe work procedures.”...