A firefighter battling forest fires in Canada lost his life in the Fort Liard district on Saturday afternoon, according to the authorities. His identity has not been disclosed. This tragedy comes just two days after the death of another firefighter who was injured whilst battling the mega-fires raging across the country, the authorities announced on Sunday.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of a firefighter who succumbed to his injuries whilst fighting a bushfire in the Fort Liard district on Saturday afternoon", said Jessica Davey-Quantick of the Northwest Territories Emergency Services.
The death occurred in the south of the region, near the province of British Columbia, where a 19-year-old female firefighter lost her life on Thursday whilst responding to a fall.
"We must never forget the service and sacrifices of our first responders", said Bill Blair, Minister for Civil Protection.
The Northwest Territories are facing an extreme drought this year, and some areas have broken temperature records in recent days. At present, nearly 572 fires remain out of control.
Canada is facing a record year for wildfires, particularly megafires, and is being forced to let most of them burn. So far, more than 10 million hectares have been destroyed – a figure far exceeding anything the country has ever experienced before, equivalent to the size of Portugal.
These fires occur mainly in the boreal forest, far from populated areas, which limits material damage and loss of life. However, they have serious consequences for the environment.