Wildfire service's planned burn in 2023 could have killed or injured multiple firefighters, says report
WorkSafeBC is “now considering appropriate enforcement action” against the BC Wildfire Service in relation to a 2023 planned burn operation in British Columbia.
The operation by the wildfire service could have killed or injured multiple firefighters during an operation in the 2023 fire season, according to a recent report.
During the burn in the Shuswap region on Aug. 17 that year, a team of Brazilian firefighters became trapped by "extreme fire behaviour" following a controlled burn operation conducted by the BC Wildfire Service, CBC noted, citing a report from WorkSafeBC
With their escape route cut off, the crew was forced to shelter beneath power lines, burn off surrounding vegetation to protect their truck from ignition, and spend the night amid falling trees, heavy smoke, and flames. They were only rescued the following day after another crew “cut their way into the site” through hazardous terrain, according to the report.
The incident "could have resulted in multiple serious injuries or fatalities of workers," WorkSafeBC noted.
The government agency determined that the planning and execution of the burn were grossly inadequate.
“The planning and execution of this ignition operation was not adequate to ensure worker safety and workers were put at risk as a result," the inspection report concluded, adding that the employer failed to provide proper training, instruction, and supervision for the crews involved.
The report further highlights that the involved workers did not exercise their legal right to refuse unsafe work—an obligation the employer is responsible for ensuring they understand.
By Dec. 6, 2024, the BC Wildfire Service had complied with orders to update its procedures for planned ignitions.
Despite this, administrative penalties are on the table, according to the CBC report.
The planned burn, intended to reduce wildfire intensity by clearing fuel along a 10-kilometre stretch of power lines, coincided with the aggressive advance of the Lower East Adams Lake and Bush Creek wildfires. The next day, driven by high winds, the fires devastated the Shuswap area—destroying more than 170 properties, including over 80 structures on the Skwlax te Secwepemculecw First Nation’s land.
Earlier, a regional district bulletin described the burn as “successful,” and BC Wildfire operations director Cliff Chapman publicly stated the ignition “saved hundreds of homes,” according to CBC.
