Time to rethink approach to wildfires, says longtime N.W.T. firefighter in wake of fatalities

Frederick Lepine, who spent nearly two decades fighting wildfires in the N.W.T., said hearing about the firefighters killed on the job this month gave him a "jolt."

"We have a long history with firefighting in Canada, and one of the things we stress is safety — really stress safety," he said.

"These fires are not the same fires I fought when I was younger."

Lepine spoke to CBC News after N.W.T. firefighter Adam Yeadon died from injuries received battling a blaze near Fort Liard. A week earlier, B.C. wildland firefighter Devyn Gale was also killed responding to a fire near Revelstoke.

Since Lepine spoke to CBC news, a third person died while fighting a wildfire in Canada this month — a helicopter pilot whose aircraft crashed on Wednesday while delivering water to a fire in the Peace River region.

Lepine, who was a fireffighter in Hay River, N.W.T., for 18 years, said the work always involves risk, and often the risk can be managed.

He also said that things have changed since his days as a firefighter. Climate change means fires are now "more devastating than they ever were," he said.

In the N.W.T., he pointed to extreme dry conditions that have made things potentially more dangerous for firefighters.

"The ground is so dry that the fires ... burn through tree roots. And when they burn the tree root systems, the trees have no structure to keep them upright. And at any point a little wind can start knocking trees over," he said.

'I just thought, 'nope that's not right''

N.W.T. officials have not confirmed how Yeadon was injured but family members have told CBC News he was hit by a tree. 

Yeadon's relatives have also raised questions about the circumstances of his death, such as whether he had adequate training and supervision, and whether his crew that day was too small.

"The first thing that the boys brought to my attention is there was not a full crew," Jack Yeadon, Adam's father, told CBC's As It Happens this week.

"And by that I'm saying that when they were out, sent out to that fire, there was only three guys ... And right there I just, I thought, 'nope, that's not right.'"

Jack says he wants an investigation into what exactly happened. The N.W.T. government has said several are underway.

"I don't understand what fell apart out there," Jack said.

For Lepine, there are also questions about whether N.W.T. officials are well-equipped to deal with today's wildfires. He suggests "a real good reevaluation of the techniques we're using." 

"The level of experience that the department has right now is, I think, insufficient for the kind of fires we're getting today," he said.

"I think they're discovering this now, we don't have the trained personnel like we used to."

According to Lepine, it's also time to rethink the response to wildfires. 

"If it means that we don't fight as many fires, then so be it. Because you're going to be putting crews into a lot of danger."

In an email to CBC News on Wednesday, N.W.T. Environment department spokesperson Mike Westwick said the territory's coroner service is investigating the cause and circumstances of Adam Yeadon's death.

He also said the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission was investigating "workplace processes, procedures, conditions, and events which could have contributed to this outcome."

The territorial government was also completing its own occupational health and safety investigation, he said.

"As [Jack] Yeadon said in the interview, it's on all of us to do everything possible to prevent tragedies like this. We will be reviewing lessons learned during these investigations and honour Jack's wishes," Westwick wrote.

"We will continue to ensure safety of our people is paramount as our dedicated wildfire personnel continue to manage wildfires across the territory to help protect our communities."