BC Wildfire firefighters death caused by multiple violations, report finds [Video]

A WorkSafeBC report on the death of a BC Wildfire Service member has identified multiple violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Devyn Gale, 19, was killed on July 13, 2023, when a burning cedar tree collapsed on her near Revelstoke.

The partially redacted report found that two other firefighters had raised concerns about the burning cedar before the incident.

However, despite these concerns being raised, the tree was not assessed and workers were only told to use a “heads-up” approach and stay away if they felt uncomfortable.

“Shortly after the lunchtime briefing, at approximately 13:30, Firefighter 1 (Gale) was bucking a downed tree (cutting it into logs) using a chainsaw, working progressively toward the burning cedar. When Firefighter 1 was approximately 6 to 9 metres from the base of the burning cedar, it fell down,” the report states.

Another firefighter working nearby did not see the tree fall but heard a “loud cracking noise,” the report …