REVELSTOKE WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER REMEMBERED FOR UNRECIPROCATED KINDNESS

By Melissa Jameson

Genuine altruism -- acts of unselfish kindness to others -is a rare quality. It’s a quality, undoubtedly, that Devyn Gale possessed. She died on July 13, 2023, while helping to protect the community she loved. She was just 19 years old.

Gale was working alongside a team of wildland firefighters, clearing brush within a remote area just outside of Revelstoke where a small fire had started. When Gale’s team lost contact with her, they went searching, then discovered her caught under a fallen tree. Cpl. James Grandy, with the BC RCMP, said the team immediately began first aid. Gale was then airlifted to Queen Victoria Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

At the time of publication, Gale’s death was being investigated by multiple government bodies including the BC Wildfire Service, WorkSafe BC and the RCMP, however police say there is no suspicion of criminal activity involved. Her death, the fourth linked to B.C. wildfires since 2010, received international media coverage. Numerous fire halls across the province, including Revelstoke, lowered their flags to half staff. The BC Government Employees Union, B.C. Premiere David Eby, B.C. Forests minister Bruce Ralston and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued statements. Revelstoke community members, groups and businesses shared their condolences on social media.

“SHE WAS THE HEART OF US”

It was Gale’s third season as a wildland firefighter; a job she loved. She worked as an initial attack crew member out of the Columbia Fire Zone in Revelstoke. News of her passing deeply impacted the tight-knit firefighting community.

“On Thursday evening, our hearts broke,” the BC Wildfire Service wrote in a social media post on Sunday, July 17. “Devyn Gale…was a trusted colleague, a loving friend, a beloved sibling and a cherished daughter. She personified the iconic Reds and Blues of wildland firefighting in British Columbia; she was bravery hard work, determination, leadership and selflessness. She was one of us. She was the heart of us.”

In a statement shared through the BC Wildfire Service, Gale’s family – her parents Philomena and Graham, her brother Nolan and her sister Kayln –wrote about what an amazing sister and loving daughter she was.

“She was so kind and thoughtful. She was the most sensible among us three siblings. She was careful, considerate and hard working. She was smarter and better at what she did than she gave herself credit for. Devyn was an outstanding third year firefighter, a strong leader among her peers in wildfire and was on her way to becoming a compassionate nurse. We are so grateful to have grown up beside her. We are grateful for everything she’s done for us and others, completely out of kindness with no expectation for reciprocation. She truly didn’t deserve this. We love you Devyn and we hope you are OK wherever you are now.”

A graduate of the Revelstoke Secondary School Class of 2020, Gale was a third-year nursing student at UBC Okanagan. In a statement, Dr. Marie Tarrant, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development, said Devyn had strong connections with fellow students and instructors.

“Her loss is deeply felt in our School of Nursing community and beyond,” Tarrant wrote.

“The fact that Devyn was putting herself on the frontline to fight wildfires and also working towards a nursing career on the frontline of our healthcare system speaks to the strength of her character,” said Dr. Lesley Cormack, deputy vice-chancellor of UBC’s Okanagan campus. “We will all need to take time to mourn her loss.”

Gale’s family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to the Revelstoke Community Foundation.

The Revelstoke Community Foundation has set up a fund in Gale’s honour. In an email to the Mountaineer, executive coordinator Heather Abbot said when the time is right, the foundation will work with the Gale family on how they wish to see the funds being directed in the future.

“Seeing the loss of Devyn has been heartbreaking but the outpouring of love for Devyn and the Gale family has been incredible,” Abbott said. “We hope this allows Devyn’s legacy and her vibrant life to live on in Revelstoke forever.”

Those wishing to donate in Gale’s memory can do so by visiting revelstokecommunityfoundation.com