B.C. fined $759K for safety violations in fatal, near-fatal wildfire incidents

The B.C. government has been fined more than 750,000 for workplace safety violations in a pair of incidents during the 2023 wildfire season.

The province of B.C. has been fined more than $750,000 for two workplace health and safety violations during the 2023 wildfire season—one that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old firefighter from Ontario.

WorkSafeBC recently published a summary of the $759,368.84 administrative penalty online. The amount represented the maximum legally allowed in the year the incidents occurred, a spokesperson for the agency said in an email to CTV News.

“The statutory maximum penalty reflects the seriousness of the violations,” the spokesperson said.

“The incidents serve as a reminder to all employers of their obligation to ensure supervisors have the necessary support and training to carry out their health and safety responsibilities.”

The first incident happened on July 28, 2023, the day Zak Muise was killed in a vehicle rollover while fighting the Donnie Creek wildfire in northern B.C.

“Two workers, one of whom was a supervisor, were in a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) when it went over a steep embankment. Both were injured, one of them fatally. WorkSafeBC determined that neither worker was wearing a helmet, the passenger had not been using a seatbelt, and the passenger-side retention netting had been damaged,” the penalty summary said.

“In addition, inadequate supervision, a lack of safe work procedures and training for operating the UTV, and a lack of a pre-use inspection of the UTV all contributed to the incident.”

The second incident, which happened three weeks later, did not result in any injuries or deaths but could have, according to an investigation report. A team of five firefighters from Brazil was trapped during a planned ignition on the Adams Lake wildfire in the province’s Interior, the regulator told CTV News.

“Other crews involved in the operation were forced to navigate off-road when their escape route was compromised. WorkSafeBC determined that a lack of planning, training, and communication were all contributing factors, and elements of the employer’s safety program and operations manual had not been followed,” the penalty summary said.

“The employer failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety, a repeated and high-risk violation.”

The regulator imposed a single penalty for both violations, which it has the discretion to do, the spokesperson told CTV News.

Six firefighting personnel died during the 2023 wildfire season, which was the most destructive ever recorded in B.C. Nearly 30,000 square kilometres burned, hundreds of structures were lost and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes.

Ravi Parmar, minister of forests, did not comment directly on the incidents or the penalty when asked by CTV News. He did provide a statement lauding the work of front-line firefighters, thanking them for their service, and saying safety is a priority.

“BC Wildfire Service has already taken action to enhance safety and will continue to work to keep people as safe as possible in this high-risk environment,” the minister wrote.

“I know the staff at the BC Wildfire Service work relentlessly year-round to find ways to mitigate and prevent risk and will continue to do that work.”