Firefighter, 24, is the first victim of the huge wildfire in western Canada August 5, 2024

This August 3, 2024 image taken in Jasper National Park, Canada, shows fire activity near Lake Edith (Handout)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Firefighter, 24, is the first victim of the huge wildfire in western Canada

A 24-year-old firefighter has died while battling a vast and still uncontrolled forest fire in western Canada, federal police announced on Sunday.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was the first victim of a massive wildfire near the beloved tourist town of Jasper, in the province of Alberta. Last year's historically bad fire season claimed eight lives.

The victim, a native of Calgary, suffered a serious injury on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by a falling tree “while fighting an active wildfire northeast of Jasper,” said a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

He was transported, first by helicopter and then by air ambulance, to a hospital, but was later pronounced dead, said Parks Canada, the federal agency that manages national parks.

“Every single person responding to the Jasper Complex Forest Fire is mourning our friend and colleague today,” said a joint statement from Parks Canada and the City of Jasper posted on Facebook.

“The forest fire community is small and each loss deeply affects us all.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “heartbroken” by the loss, adding on the social media platform X that “he served Albertans with unwavering bravery, and his loss is deeply felt.”

Several firefighting units paid tribute to their fallen comrade on Sunday morning at a vigil in the nearby town of Hinton.

The provincial authorities said they were investigating the circumstances of the death.

Around 700 firefighters, including several from other countries, are now battling the vast forest fire, which has burned around 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres).

Started two weeks ago by a lightning strike in a region suffering from severe drought, the fire has destroyed a substantial part of the tourist town of Jasper, known as the jewel of a region of natural beauty that attracts 2.5 million tourists a year.

Still, out of control, it is the largest fire to hit Jasper National Park in 100 years - and could burn for months more, according to the authorities.

On Friday, the highway serving the town of Jasper was partially reopened to traffic, and authorities allowed evacuated residents to travel by charter bus to inspect their homes, conditions permitting.

A date for a full return to the city has not yet been announced.

Last year saw a catastrophic number of forest fires in Canada, with 15 million hectares burned and more than 200,000 people evacuated.

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