A damning WorkSafeBC report following the 2023 death of a BC Wildfire Service firefighter points to inadequate supervision, training and also a “normalization” of risk within the agency.
Devyn Gale, 19, was working at a fire near Revelstoke on July 13, 2023, when she sustained fatal injuries after being struck by a burning cedar tree while conducting fire suppression.
According to WorkSafeBC’s incident investigation report, two firefighters who were working with Gale raised concerns about the tree prior to it coming down.
The report said one firefighter observed three trees of note the day before, on July 12: one of them fell overnight, another had a dead or broken tree limb from the top and the third cedar was burning from the inside out and the top had already fallen.
"The two standing cedars were identified as being dangerous trees,” reads the report. "Firefighter 2 and Firefighter 4 brought forward concerns about them.”
One of the firefighters even expressed a “no-work zone.” Such a zone wasn’t established and a dangerous tree assessment was not performed, according to WorkSafeBC.
“The only hazard-mitigating instructions being to keep a heads-up approach,” reads the report, noting that meant to “remain alert and stay away from it if they felt uncomfortable.”
The current standard in B.C. for dealing with dangerous trees includes removing the whole tree or the dangerous part of a tree or establishing flagged no-work zones and informing workers of those zones.
A tree faller who was trained to perform a dangerous tree assessment did not complete any forms or templates for a dangerous tree assessment on July 13, WorkSafeBC found.
The BC Wildfire Service’s own Operational Safe Work Standards states if a tree is dangerous, the tree must be removed or a no-work zone must be established and flagged.
At 1:30 p.m. and shortly after the lunchtime briefing, Gale was using a chainsaw to cut a downed tree and was six to nine metres from the base of the burning cedar when it fell.
WorkSafeBC found the “heads-up” method was “nearly impossible” to use during the chainsaw activities Gale was doing as she had to be cognizant of her active saw.
One of Gale’s crew members heard a loud cracking noise from the tree and found her. They immediately started first-aid efforts and an air ambulance was called.
There were a total of nine firefighters, including a supervisor and a faller, at the fire that day.
WorkSafeBC, BC Wildfire Service violations
The 21-page report says dangerous trees are an inherent risk to workers in any forestry operation but regulatory requirements were breached in this case.
"Even though the hazard of the burning cedar was reported, no actions were taken to eliminate or mitigate the risks. This contravenes regulatory requirements, as well as the procedures outlined in the Wildlife/Dangerous Tree Assessor Course, the fire crew training standard, and BCWS’s safe work procedures,” states the report.
The report found many safety failures in Gale’s death, including an incomplete dangerous tree assessment, ineffective hazard management, inadequate supervision and inadequate young and new worker orientation and training. A number of safe work procedures were also not followed, according to WorkSafeBC.
Other health and safety issues were found, including the “normalization of risk” within BC Wildfire Service. An investigator found that there is a higher tolerance for risk with regard to potential safety concerns.
“This might explain why appropriate steps — as prescribed by the Regulation, the Wildland Fire Safety module, and BCWS’s internal policies and procedures relating to safety and dangerous trees — were not being followed,” states the report, noting the BC Wildfire Service is aware of the safety concerns associated with dangerous trees.
"However, it appears that the normalization of risk has been justified within BCWS’s culture, and safety procedures are not being followed as a result.”
This fire was the first initial attack fire of the season for most of the workers and a redacted number of them were young or new workers with BCWS. Some of the firefighters had not even completed BCWS recruit bootcamp training, according to the report.
"Young and/or new workers were being deployed to fires without having received adequate information, instruction, and training,” the document reads.
WorkSafeBC found BCWS failed to take appropriate action on an identified dangerous tree. It found six other violations, including failing to provide workers with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure its workers’ safety, and failing to ensure orientation and training records for young workers are kept.
"This approach to the policies and procedures related to dangerous trees likely contributed to this incident,” states the report.
Ministry responds to report
B.C.’s Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston says BCWS is taking action on all the WorkSafeBC findings and building on its commitment to safety.
"The safety of BC Wildfire Service crew members is our first priority,” says Ralston in an Aug. 14 statement to Glacier Media.
The minister says the government is “increasing personal protective gear, strengthening training opportunities, improving recruitment, and enhancing access to physical and mental health supports.”
“It is my profound hope that the action we are taking today, including our work responding to all WorkSafeBC findings, will prevent tragedies in the future,” reads the statement.
Assistant Deputy Minister at BCWS Rob Schweitzer says he is committed to building a culture of safety within the BC Wildfire Service to reduce risk where possible and keep members safe.
"Last year's fatalities serve as a stark reminder that this work is never done,” he says. "We have undertaken several key actions since last summer and will continue to implement [and] address all findings in the WorkSafe investigation report.”
Schweitzer notes the agency has taken “immediate and specific actions,” including providing customized danger tree awareness training for all BC Wildfire Service staff and increasing danger tree assessor mentorship. He says the service is also “forging stronger partnerships” with safety associations to provide training to members.
“We also recognize that there are changes that require long-term solutions,” he says. "We have adopted changes that include converting crew supervisors into year-round positions, enhancing hiring and recruitment, and supporting research partnerships to improve physical and mental health and safety."
Schweitzer says it is his job to ensure that everyone from crew members to support staff can carry out their work in as safe an environment as possible.
"I am dedicated to ensuring this work continues throughout this summer and years to come.”
Gale was one of three children. Her brother said she was an amazing sister and that “she was careful, considerate, hardworking. She was smarter and better at what she did than she gave herself credit for.”
