Planned Burn Could Have Killed Trapped Firefighters, Says BC Safety Report

A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Aug. 20, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia’s worker protection agency says a planned burn by the province’s wildfire service during the devastating 2023 fire season could have killed or injured multiple firefighters who became “trapped by extreme fire behaviour” that cut off their escape.

Inspection reports by WorkSafeBC say the BC Wildfire Service didn’t adequately ensure safety during the burn in the Shuswap region on Aug. 17 that year, and a group of trapped Brazilian firefighters had to retreat to a “safe zone.”