Now 21, she’s part of an army of young men and women, many university students, who are spending their summers battling what may be one of Canada’s worst fire seasons in living memory.

They share a sense of duty and camaraderie.

But the risks they face were highlighted last week by the death of Devyn Gale, a nursing student, in British Columbia. At just 19, Gale was in her third season as a firefighter in the wild when she was crushed by a falling tree while her team was fighting a runaway fire near her hometown of Revelstoke in southern British Columbia’s interior.

Reese Lange is currently studying to be a firefighter at Lakeland College in Vermilion, in central Alberta, but was already deployed to firefighting in the province this summer. She said Devyn Gale’s death was “devastating” but only made her more determined.

“I feel like this makes me even more excited to be a firefighter and learn more so I can protect myself and my teammates,” Lange said.

A summer job for 1,600 people

She said the tragedy strengthened bonds within her class of 31 firefighter students and underscored their shared goals of saving lives and looking out for one another.

The British Columbia Forest Fire Service said in a statement it employs about 1,600 seasonal workers each year, about a third of whom are post-secondary students working during their summer vacations.

“Because our peak wildfire season falls at a time when many students are on their summer vacation, they are often looking for work at this time. Therefore, one would normally expect 30-35% of them to go back to school in the fall,” the statement said.

Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, said a “large number of students” are involved in fighting wildfires.

Wildland firefighters are typically hired for a paid season, typically between late May and mid-September. He added that during the summer months, the number of paid forest firefighters increases compared to volunteer firefighters.

“We don’t see a big increase in volunteering in the four months that students are at home outside of school,” he said.

“By contrast, we’re seeing an increase in wildland firefighters because they represent an income opportunity, while volunteering in your communities is not.”

Starting hourly wages for British Columbia firefighters range from $26 to $30 an hour, with premiums for overtime and on-call hours.

A vocation

But for some young firefighters, it’s not just about the pay. It’s a calling.

Reese Lange’s classmate, Mark Uwazny, 21, decided to become a firefighter in 9th grade after helping to rescue another Boy Scout who had suffered heat shock during a winter survival struggle.

“[It was]how we all came together as a community to make sure this person got everything they needed in a timely manner,” Uwazny said.

Since then, his family has expected him to work in the emergency services.

Mark Uwazny said his family was “happy and excited” when he decided to become a firefighter through Lakeland’s apprenticeship program.

In May, Mark Uwazny and Reese Lange spent five or six evenings fighting wildfires that burned about 40 acres in Parkland County west of Edmonton.

Seeing a forest fire so close was an “unreal and crazy” experience, Reese Lange said.

They already feel part of the firefighting community, and Mark Uwazny said losing Devyn Gale was like “losing a family member.”

“In our class we’re 31, it’s something that could happen to any of us and then the family goes away,” said Mark Uwazny.

“But the other aspect of family is the strength of the bond,” he added.

See also: Wildfires: This is what a volunteer firefighter’s job looks like

Some young firefighters last only a few seasons. Jennifer Seguin ran alternate seasons for nine seasons.

She joined the BC Forest Fire Department in the summer of 2005 while interrupting her social work studies at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.

Like Devyn Gale, she was 19 at the time. She said the news of Devyn Gale’s death left her “shocked and completely devastated.” Jennifer Seguin now works in healthcare in Manitoba.

“Devyn’s death is such a tragedy because she was one of many young people who did this work. She wanted to give to the community as a nurse and help other people on their journey to health,” said Jennifer Seguin, her voice shaking.

She said fighting wildfires is hard and self-sacrificing work that sometimes involves 16-hour days in remote locations.

Jennifer Seguin recalls a “scary” encounter in 2017 when her team was fighting a fire in Princeton, British Columbia.

“We were one of the first teams on site and the conditions were very dry and very hot. The wind was blowing and the intensity required us to move away from the fire,” she said.

“We had to get up close to understand its nature. And when we realized we couldn’t do anything with the resources we had, we withdrew.”

In addition to the extreme conditions, the job also meant missing out on traditional summer activities or important life events like a friend’s wedding.

But it was an experience she “wouldn’t trade for the world,” says Jennifer Seguin.

“I am very grateful and privileged to have had this opportunity and be able to participate,” she concluded.