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British Columbia's regulator has imposed a hefty fine on the province for two wildfire incidents in 2023, including one in which a 25-year-old firefighter was killed in a vehicle rollover in the Northeast.
This is the second largest fine issued by WorkSafeBC to the British Columbia government in connection with the 2023 wildfire season. with a fine of $710,000 issued last year for unsafe methods of fighting wildfires in an area outside Fort St. John.
The 2023 bushfire season was the most destructive in the history of the province, when nearly 2,300 fires burned over 2.8 million hectares (28,401 square kilometers) and several first responders died.
“Emotionally difficult” – that’s what they called it in the provinces resume on his websitestating that 2023 “will always be remembered for the tragic deaths of six members of the British Columbia firefighting community.”
Now WorkSafeBC says the province must pay for the workplace safety lapses it says led to one of those deaths.
“The statutory maximum penalty reflects the seriousness of the violations,” the agency said in an emailed statement.
It says the purpose of the fine is to “motivate the employer receiving the fine – and other employers – to comply with health and safety legislation and regulations, and to keep their workplaces safe.”
Zach Muise, who worked for firefighting contractor Bigcat Wildfire, died July 28, 2023, when his heavy-duty all-terrain vehicle overturned over a steep cliff on a gravel road in a remote area about 150 kilometers north of Fort St. John.
He helped fight the massive Donny Creek wildfire, the largest recorded in the province's history.
WorkSafeBC said on its website that Muise was with a supervisor at the time and neither was wearing a helmet.
Summary of fines Regarding the $759,368.84 fine issued on Sept. 25, he also said the passenger's seat belt was not in use and the passenger-side restraint net was damaged.
Mike Smesman, owner of operator Bigcat Wildfire, says he's grateful for WorkSafeBC's investigation, but told CBC News losing Muise was devastating.
“The company has had a hard time getting through this,” he said. “It's never easy when you lose someone.”
Firefighters are trapped in flames
The second incident that resulted in a WorkSafeBC fine involved five Brazilian firefighters who were caught in a planned fire in the province's Shuswap region in August 2023.
WorkSafeBC determined that this was due to a lack of planning, training and communication, as well as failure to adhere to certain provisions of the employer's safety program and operating manual.
“The employer failed to provide its employees with the information, instructions, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety, which constitutes a repeat, high-risk violation,” the summary of fines states.
According to an emailed statement Friday afternoon, the Department of Forestry says it has “questions and concerns” about some of WorkSafeBC's findings and plans to request a review of the fine decision to ensure an accurate representation of events.
A ministry spokesperson said it understands WorkSafeBC's fines are intended to enforce workplace safety standards, but was “disappointed to see two unrelated penalties lumped together.”
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar thanked British Columbia firefighters for their hard and risky work.
“I want to thank our crews and contractors who keep us safe every single day,” Parmar said in a statement.
Smesman said he hopes the province will pay the fine and ensure the safety of workers fighting the fire.
“Obviously you can't put a price on someone's life,” he said. “I hope they just… accept it and move forward and try to be better.”
WorkSafeBC said the amount of the fine depends on both the employer's wages and the nature of the violation.
Increased fines may be imposed in high-risk circumstances or if the employer has been punished for something similar within the last three years.
In October 2023, when the province was fined $710,488.79—a record at the time for the largest fine ever issued by WorkSafeBC—it appealed the amount, arguing that it was arbitrary, disproportionately high, and calculated using the entire BC government payroll.
WorkSafeBC said the administrative penalty was lifted after a review, but did not provide further explanation.
