Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Wildfire Service
August 14, 2021 - 8:30 AM
An Incident Commander took to the B.C. Wildfire Service social media channels last night for a well-received heartfelt message from the frontlines of B.C.'s firefight.
Kyle Young, a third generation wildland firefighter, explains why he does what he does, how he manages it and even some of his frustrations. As the service explains, an incident management team manages large, complex fires and relieves pressure from local fire centres so they can focus on new fires. Kyle is based out of Kamloops and this year, worked on the Mckay Creek fire near Lillooet and the 100 Mile Northeast complex and currently in the Shuswap.
He posted this story to Facebook and Twitter last night, Aug. 13. It has been re-tweeted hundreds of times and re-shared thousands of times.
Here's his story.
My name is Kyle Young and I am an Incident Commander with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
I am writing this post rather than sharing a video message because, frankly, it would be too emotional for me.
I am someone that ground crews, my kids, and many other people, look up to for guidance through these challenging seasons. I have been doing this job for 16 years. I am a third generation wildland firefighter, following my father and grandfather.
I have a long history within this organization and the love I have for this job is what drives me every day, along with the support I receive from my family and co-workers.
This season we have been tested and we have done everything possible to ensure people are safe.
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I understand there are other opinions out there that might not agree, but please know, from someone who has only been able to spend six days with his family since June 30th, I can attest to the dedication from every single person who is employed on these fires.
2021 is different from previous years. We aren’t getting the resources we usually would from other jurisdictions due to the immense fire danger across Canada and the United States.
Then you throw a global pandemic on top of it, which has impacted how we are able to manage fires and the resources we have available to draw from. We show up to do our best but at the end of the day, we are humans and Mother Nature has the power.
We need to allow her to do what she needs to do all while keeping everyone safe.
Again, I understand not everyone is going to agree with this message and I get it, but please know that I am proud of the effort everyone in the organization, the contractors, partners, and anyone else supporting us are making.
The sacrifices to do this job are ultimately driven by passion, empathy, courage, and a huge amount of integrity. My family, along with hundreds of others, have sacrificed a lot in order for us to go out and help the people of British Columbia.
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We understand the choices we have made in our career. I promise you it is not taken lightly by any of us and we feel proud to be part of this organization.
At the end of each grueling day, I wonder if everyone is okay. Not only on the incident I’m managing, but those working on other incidents, along with those deeply affected by the devastating wildfires. I wonder if I could have done something different, something better.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, will it rain, will I be able to see my family soon, or will I open social media and be inundated with posts from people who speculate on what we do, or worse, what they think we don’t do.
This season will pass and then everyone can ask questions, we will make adjustments, and we will reflect on what we learned this season. Right now, it’s time for us, as a province, to come together and support each other.
Help us, help your neighbors, help everyone get through the next six weeks of what has been the most challenging summer.
Please be kind, stay calm, and know that the BC Wildfire Service is fighting for British Columbia’s safety every single day.
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