Canadian firefighter killed battling blaze in British Columbia

[July 14, 2023]  (Reuters) - A Canadian firefighter was killed while battling a massive blaze in a forest on Thursday in British Columbia, authorities said, as wildfires continue to rage across the country.  

The B.C. General Employees' Union announced the death of the firefighter in a statement late on Thursday. It identified her as a woman but did not provide her name.

"Our hearts and thoughts go out to her family and community, both at home and in the B.C. Wildfire Service," the union said in a statement.

The woman had been battling a fire outside the town of Revelstoke, around 310 miles (500 km) northeast of Vancouver on Canada's west coast, the union said.

There are currently three wildfires burning within 30 miles of Revelstoke, and two are considered out of control, the CBC reported.

Some 2,000 firefighters are battling more than 350 fires across British Columbia. Fires have also raged in large swathes of eastern Canada, and wildfire emissions have hit record highs.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Peter Graff)

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