N.W.T. wildfire fighter dies after battling blaze near Fort Liard

A wildfire fighter who was injured battling a blazenear FortLiard, N.W.T, has died,government officialsconfirmed on Sunday.

The firefighter, also from Fort Liard, died after he wasinjured battlinga blaze on Saturday,wildfire information officer Jessica Davey-Quantick said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues and community. We share your deep sorrow at this loss," saidDavey-Quantick.

"We send our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy, including wildfire personnel who are committed to protecting their communities and the residents of the N.W.T."

The fire was caused by lightning, according to theN.W.T. government's website. It's located about 26 kilometressoutheast of Fort Liard, about eightkilometreswest of Highway 7 and is approximately 10 hectares in size.

"Though smoke may be visible in the area,it is not currently a threat to Fort Liard," the territorial government said.

WATCH | Wildfire fighter who was killed was from Fort Liard, N.W.T.:

Firefighter dies battling N.W.T. wildfire

1 year ago

Duration 1:46

A firefighter in Northwest Territories has died from injuries sustained while battling a wildfire in the Fort Liard area. Its the second front-line death in the past few days after 19-year-old firefighter Devyn Gale was killed in Revelstoke, B.C., on Thursday.

The N.W.T. government saidit will not be identifying the wildfire fighter at this time as it notifies his family. It saidRoyal Canadian MountedPolice and the territory's coroner's office have been contacted.

The area where the death happened is about 37 kilometresnorth of the British Columbia border, where residents have been grappling with alack of rain, record-breaking temperatures in some areas and a record-breaking wildfire season.

In the N.W.T., where wildfires have also gripped the areaand even temporarily displaced community members from their homes, public parks have been put under a fire ban as a result of extremely dry weather conditions.As of Sunday afternoon, there are 89 active wildfires across the territory.

In a statement Sunday afternoon, N.W.T.Environment and Climate Change Minister Shane Thompson said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the wildfire fighter's death.

"This has already been a very challenging season for N.W.T. firefighters, with wildfires starting earlier than normal and within reach of our communities and other critical infrastructure," said Thompson.

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

The wildfire fighter is the second this past week to die in the line of duty in Canada. On Thursday, B.C. wildfire fighter Devyn Gale died after she was hit bya falling tree while fighting a blaze.