A 24-year-old firefighter has died while battling a vast and still uncontrolled wildfire in western Canada, the federal police announced Sunday. The man, whose name was not immediately released, became the first casualty of a huge fire near the beloved tourist town of Jasper in Alberta province. Last year's historically bad fire season claimed eight lives.
The victim, a Calgary native, suffered a serious injury Saturday afternoon when struck by a falling tree "while fighting an active fire northeast of Jasper," said a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He was transported, first by helicopter and then by air ambulance, to a hospital but was later declared dead, said Parks Canada, the federal agency that manages the national parks. "Every single person responding to the Jasper Wildfire Complex is in mourning today for our friend and colleague," said a joint statement from Parks Canada and the town of Jasper posted on Facebook.
"The wildland fire community is small and every loss deeply impacts us all." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "heartbroken" by the loss, adding on social media platform X that "he served Albertans with unwavering bravery, and his loss is deeply felt." Several firefighting units paid homage to their fallen comrade Sunday morning in a vigil in the nearby town of Hinton.
Provincial authorities said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. Some 700 firefighters, including several from other countries, are.