Like 'losing a family member': Firefighters mourn colleagues killed on the job
Three firefighters have already died in what is one of Canada's worst wildfire seasons
Firefighting student Tayler Hubbs, 26, may not have a personal connection to some of her fallen colleagues, but she said firefighter deaths still feel like "losing a family member."
"You definitely keep a special place in your heart for these individuals who lost their lives on the job," she told The Current guest host Kathleen Goldhar.
It's been a deadly month for firefighters across Canada. Last weekend, a memorial service was held for 19-year-old Devyn Gale, who was killed by a falling tree while fighting a wildfire near Revelstoke, B.C.
Earlier this month, 25-year-old Adam Yeadon died fighting a fire in the Northwest Territories; and a 41-year-old man from Whitecourt, Alta., was killed after his helicopter crashed as delivered water.
Hubbs, who attends Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., said the deaths open your eyes to how risky this job can be — especially now, during one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in the country.
"It's conversations we have at school, too, about how safe you really have to be," she said. "But, I mean, it's not something that everyone's expecting every day."
Taylor Dalzell, a wildland firefighter and crew leader in Ontario, feels the weight of the losses even if they happened on the other side of the continent.
"It's still something that still affects us because even though it's across the country, they're still our brothers and sisters who fight fire with us," he told Goldhar.
Staff shortages
Dalzell has been fighting fires for eight years. He said he occasionally fears for his life — usually from the risk of falling trees than the flames themselves.
It can be a burden on his mental health.
"I'm sometimes lying awake in my tent at night quite anxious, wondering what can I do to make sure everybody around me is also safe," he said.
This year has been particularly difficult for him. The fires in Ontario have been quite intense, but he says the biggest problem is the shortage of staff to actually deal with them.
"For the forest rangers within Ontario, we are having quite the retention crisis right now, and it's unfortunate," he said. "Out of our 190 crews, we are short, I think, 48 or 49 this season."
Usually, these shortages can be supplemented with resources from other provinces, such as crew from Alberta and British Columbia. But because the wildfire season is so chaotic across the country, "we can no longer grab … from these other provinces," he said.
They're also finding it difficult to secure manpower from other countries.
"Luckily, we were able to get some crews in from Mexico," he said. "However, there was only a limited number of crews because I think a majority of the Mexican crews went to B.C. and Alberta."
"So we're definitely trying to figure out ways to be a little bit more tactful when using all of our resources."
In some cases, Dalzell said this means letting some fires burn if there's nothing of value to protect around its natural boundaries.
"Some of them, we only have to attack certain parts of the fire because we can't afford to try to attack the entire fire, just because they are so large," he added.
Safety first
Hubbs realizes being a firefighter is a risky career choice, but she's set on serving her community.
"It kind of gives you that determination about what you're fighting for and how badly you want to protect yourself, these communities and especially your teammates," she said.
But Dalzell advises new firefighters to not get complacent with their safety.
"Unfortunately we have lost three people involved in wildland firefighting in the last week.… It's sad and it's tragic," he said.
"Hopefully, we can learn from these as a community — and as you move forward with your career, just always look out for those around you, not just yourself."
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Produced by Juliana Konrad, Arielle Piat-Sauvé and Ines Colabrese
