There is a special set of rituals that are observed at the death of a firefighter. Over the course of my career, I have participated in a few funerals for fire fighters, including at least two for fire fighters who died in the midst of their careers. Other members of the fire service participate in the funeral by bringing fire equipment, creating a procession of fire trucks, and sharing in a special ceremony that includes the ringing of a bell. It is a powerful and moving set of traditions. Tradition can be helpful for grieving family members who are left behind. When they see how the loss of their loved one has affected others they begin to understand that they are not alone in their grief. Sharing grief does not make it any less painful, but it does help overcome some of the isolation that can occur in the midst of loss.

Because I have been close to the process of honoring fallen fire fighters, I pay special attention to news stories of fire fighters who have died. The last couple of days, I have been following the story of Devyn Gale, a 19-year-old who was killed by a falling tree while fighting fire in a remote part of British Columbia near the town of Revelstoke. I’ve been to Revelstoke and can picture the terrain. I’ve seen summers of wildfire and smoke and understand a bit of the process of fighting large fires. But I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the nursing student, spending the summer fighting fires to have been clearing brush and then to fall victim of a falling tree. I cannot imagine the pain experienced by her family, friends, teachers and coaches. I cannot imagine the crushing blow to the spirits of firefighters.

Wildfire fighters’ deaths in the line of duty are fairly rare. When they do occur they usually garner a lot of media attention. Norman Maclean’s “Young Men and Fire” is a very painful account of a terrible tragedy. The 1949 Mann Gulch Fire led to the deaths of 13 firefighters, 12 of them smokejumpers. Maclean’s 1992 book reveals his obsession with the tragedy and describes the deaths of the firefighters in detail that makes it difficult to read the book. In 2011, a 23-year-old South Dakota firefighter was killed and another seriously burned when storm winds pushed fire into the area where they were working.

Wildfire fighters caught in raging flames account for only a small percentage of firefighter deaths. Heart attacks, vehicle accidents, and aircraft accidents are far more common reasons for fatalities. Much less reported are deaths by suicide of those upon whom the effects of trauma cause major mental illness and depression. Two deaths of firefighters by suicide are seared into my memory.

Firefighters suffer many on-going long-term effects of their service. Inhaling smoke causes respiratory disease that can last a lifetime. Witnessing trauma can leave mental illness and deep scars that are difficult to heal. Repeated adrenalin rushes can weaken the circulatory system and lead to heart disease.

Fighting fires is dangerous business. The risk is real. And firefighters know the risk, but continue to rush to their work out of a sense of service to others and to the community, a sense of being able to help, and perhaps even a rush of adrenalin. We all owe a debt of gratitude to firefighters and to their families for their sacrifices.

Devyn Gale’s death was the first death of a wildfire fighter in British Columbia since 2015. The premier of British Columbia and the Prime Minister of Canada have expressed their condolences to the family. It comes in the middle of the worst year for wildfires Canada has ever seen. There are currently 900 wildfires burning across the country with 560 remaining out of control. So far this season has seen more than 24.2 million acres of land burned. The current season is burning more than three times the average acreage of the past 10 years. In British Columbia alone there are 365 active fires. Thousands of firefighters including those from many countries including the United States are at work across the province.

And if anyone is still questioning whether global warming is having an effect on the everyday lives of real people, they might consider the effects of the smoke which has blanketed large areas of the United States and blown as far as Europe in amounts enough to reduce air quality in the United Kingdom. Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist for the foreseeable future.

There is no need to talk about the future effects of global climate change. The consequences of a warming planet are upon us right now. One third of the citizens of the United States are under extreme heat advisories. Emergency room doctors are treating dehydration and heal exhaustion on a daily basis. Europe is baking as temperatures set records on a daily basis. Heatwave red alerts have been issued for 16 Italian cities. It is hot out there and extreme heat is becoming a new normal. In the past week I’ve read at least two articles speculating that Texas might become too hot for people to live there. Phoenix, Arizona is America’s hottest large city with daytime temperatures ranging between 108 and 115 degrees for the past three weeks. Very hot temperatures, increased wildfire, and intense smoke are becoming a new normal as the climate of this planet continues to shift.

High temperatures have had an especially devastating effect in Canada, which has experienced temperature increases at a rate that is almost twice that in other parts of the globe. I guess we should feel fortunate that the deaths of firefighters have been relatively low given the intensity of action fire fighters are seeing. That, however, is meaningless to the friends and family of Devyn Gale who are caught up in the unwanted tasks of planning a funeral. Their loss is overwhelming.

I join with others who are mourning the loss. For this family the cost has been too high. And I fear other families will suffer loss in the months and years to come.