Friends of a Calgary firefighter who died while on duty in Jasper National Park stood on the side of a road Sunday morning as a procession mourning his loss passed by.
Firefighters, some wearing yellow uniforms, others orange, stood along the road in Hinton, Alta., east of Jasper National Park, alongside members of the Canadian Armed Forces in combat gear who helped fire crews battle the flames.
“Today we mourn the loss of one of our own,” Alberta Wildfire said in a post on social media site X alongside photos of the somber procession under a gray sky.
A spokesperson for the province’s wildfire service could not say whether the firefighter’s remains were being transported in one of the vehicles taking part in Sunday’s ceremony. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen later said in an online news conference that he believed they were.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said they learned Saturday afternoon that a 24-year-old Alberta Fire Service employee from Calgary was seriously injured by a falling tree while battling an active fire northeast of Jasper. He was airlifted from the scene by helicopter and later died.
Parks Canada, which has jurisdiction over fires in the park, said in a statement that the fire crew provided immediate first aid. Park rescue staff responded, the statement said, and, along with the provincial crew, used a wheeled stretcher to transport the injured firefighter to the nearest helipad.
PHOTO AMBER BRACKEN, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
This is the first firefighter to lose his life since the start of the fire season. Eight people battling the flames lost their lives during the historic 2023 season.
The release says the firefighter was airlifted to the Parks Canada operations complex in Jasper where a Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) helicopter was waiting, and was pronounced dead a short time later.
The deceased firefighter was from Calgary. He was based in the Rocky Mountain House area, according to RCMP, who have not released his name.
Loewen said information about the firefighter was not released out of concern for his family members, but he said authorities were working with them to release the details. He also said the family would be eligible for the province’s Heroes Fund, a one-time, tax-free payment of $100,000 that recognizes the services of first responders.
Messages of sympathy
Federal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the announcement of this tragic news.
“It breaks my heart to hear that a firefighter has lost his life fighting the Jasper wildfires,” he wrote on social media site X. “He served Albertans with unwavering courage and his passing is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with his family, friends and entire team.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also expressed her sadness and condolences to the firefighter’s family and friends.
“We are forever grateful to the brave wildland firefighters who risk their lives every day to protect others,” Mr.me Smith on X.
Thousands of people fled the town and Jasper National Park on July 22 because of wildfires, which eventually spread to the community and destroyed a third of its buildings.
An evacuation order for the town of Jasper and Jasper National Park remains in effect. Parks Canada reported Saturday that the fire in the park was still burning out of control and had grown to 32,000 hectares.
“This dedicated individual came to Jasper to help us, to help protect our town and our home. We grieve for his family, his loved ones and his comrades,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a statement about the firefighter’s death.
The province’s Occupational Health and Safety Department has been notified and will investigate the man’s death.
The deceased firefighter’s union – the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) – released a statement saying the death has left fellow union members shocked and saddened. “Our thoughts are also with his crew members and other wildland firefighters who continue to put their lives on the line to fight this and other wildland fires,” AUPE President Guy Smith said in the statement.
Just over a year ago, 19-year-old Devyn Gale, a wildfire fighter in British Columbia’s southern Interior, died after being struck by a falling tree.
Parks Canada said Saturday’s death “highlights the dangerous nature of wildfirefighting and the hazards crew members face every day.”