'She was the heart of us': BC Wildfire Service shares touching tribute to fallen member

Those are the concluding words of the tribute BC Wildfire Service shared in honour of a young firefighter who died in service of her community near Revelstoke, B.C., where she grew up, on Thursday.

“On Thursday evening our hearts broke,” BCWS wrote on Sunday.

“She personified the iconic Reds and Blues of wildland firefighting in British Columbia: she was bravery, grit, hard work, determination, leadership and selflessness. She was one of us. She was the heart of us.”

The service also shared a tribute from Devyn Gale’s family, who describe their fallen loved one as kind, thoughtful and the most sensible of her siblings.

"She was careful, considerate and hard working. She was smarter and better at what she did than what she gave herself credit for," her family wrote.

Gale was in her third year of firefighting and was studying to become a nurse, her family said.

"We are grateful for everything she's done for us and others, completely out of kindness with no expectation for reciprocation," the statement continues. 

"She truly didn't deserve this. We love you Devyn and we hope you are okay wherever you are now." 

The BCWS initial attack crew member was found caught under a fallen tree. The 19-year-old was airlifted to hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Her death is under investigation by RCMP, the BC Coroners Service, WorkSafeBC and the BCWS.

“As we turn into the dawn, there is more hard work ahead and many communities who need us. It is hard to comprehend how we move forward after such a loss, but we find the strength to do so through Devyn’s extraordinary example, in her memory and her name,” BCWS wrote.

In memory of Gale, BCWS said her family is encouraging donations to the Revelstoke Community Foundation, “to allow her vibrant legacy to live forever in the Revelstoke Community.”

WILDFIRES CLAIM ANOTHER LIFE IN NORTHWEST TERRITIORIES

On Sunday, officials said a firefighter had died on the frontlines of a wildfire near Fort Liard in the Northwest Territories.

The man has not been identified.

Fort Liard Mayor Genevieve McLeod said word started circulating in the community late Saturday afternoon that there had been an accident. At first, it was only thought that someone had been hurt and there was no word who it was.

“A big part of the community went to the airport to meet the helicopter,” McLeod said in a phone interview with The Canadian Press.

“They brought the individuals in from the forest fire they were fighting and that's when everyone found out.”

McLeod didn't want to identify the firefighter who died, noting he had a large family and that some, who lived in the south, might not have heard the devastating news yet.

“He was a big part of our community -- young and hard working. He has a young family,” she said.

“I want to send my deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy,” Shane Thompson, the territory's environment minister and the area's legislature member, said in a tweet Sunday.

“Firefighters across the territory have my utmost respect for their continued efforts to protect our homes and our communities while facing such extreme conditions.”

Thompson also called the tragedy “an unimaginable loss” for the people who knew the firefighter, as well as “a tremendous loss for the community.”

With files from The Canadian Press.