MONTREAL – A firefighter has died battling one of the massive blazes devastating Canada’s forests in 2023, British Columbia’s premier announced on Saturday.

It marked the third death of a firefighter during this devastating wildfire season.

“I am devastated to learn that we have lost another wildfire fighter. My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of this front-line hero,” Premier David Eby said in a statement.

Mr Eby did not identify the contract firefighter, but the authorities said the victim was at the Donnie Creek wildfire, near Fort St John, in the north-east of the province.

Two other firefighters have perished in separate operations in July, and a fourth person, a helicopter pilot, died on July 19 when his aircraft crashed in Alberta, in western Canada, while taking part in relief operations.

Canadian wildfires have burned some 12 million hectares this year, scorching an area larger than the size of Cuba or South Korea.

“This wildfire season has been profoundly awful,” said Mr Eby, who hailed firefighters as heroes making “extraordinary sacrifices... to keep us safe”.

British Columbia currently has 368 active fires. In total, more than 990 fires are ravaging Canada, 613 of which are considered out of control.

Canada’s geographic location means that it is warming faster than the rest of the planet. In recent years, it has been confronted with extreme weather events that have grown more frequent and intense because of climate change. AFP