Wildfire fighter attacked by grizzly bear while on the job in northern B.C.

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 07, 2025 8:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A B.C. wildfire combatant was scratched and bitten by a grizzly carnivore portion connected the occupation Friday, the B.C. Wildfire Service says.

It happened Friday greeting astatine the Summit Lake fire, astir 110 kilometres westbound of Fort Nelson, successful the province's acold northeast, said B.C. Wildfire accusation assistant Emily Baker.

"A unit person was scouting up of the radical and encountered a parent grizzly carnivore with 2 cubs," she said. "In a substance of seconds, the parent carnivore charged the individual."

She said the unit person utilized a "hand tool" to combat disconnected the carnivore portion yelling for help, and different unit members ran to the country portion moving chainsaws and yelling successful bid to scare the carnivore off.

The unfortunate was airlifted to infirmary with "fairly insignificant injuries" and has since been released, she said.

Bear won't beryllium destroyed

Conservation officers accidental they interviewed the antheral and a witness, deeming the onslaught was successful a distant determination and "defensive successful nature," and the work volition truthful not effort to seizure oregon termination the animal.

According to WildSafeBC, grizzly attacks are uncommon but tin beryllium fatal, though determination is an mean of less than 1 fatal onslaught successful B.C. each 5 years.

The work says that, dissimilar achromatic bears, who are much apt to retreat from a perceived threat, grizzlies evolved successful a treeless situation that has led to them attacking erstwhile they consciousness unsafe.

The work recommends making sound portion hiking successful grizzly habitats successful an effort to debar astonishing them.

Parks Canada says if a grizzly carnivore does attack, the absorption should beryllium connected whether the carnal is antiaircraft oregon not. 

If it's defensive, for example, it's protecting its young, Parks Canada says you should: 

• Appear non-threatening and talk successful a calm voice.
• If the carnivore stops advancing, commencement dilatory moving away.
• If it keeps coming closer, basal your ground, support talking, and usage carnivore spray.
• If the carnivore makes contact, autumn connected the ground, play dead and hold for the carnivore to leave.

If it's not defensive, perchance looking astatine you arsenic prey, looking astatine you intently with ears up, Parks Canada suggests: 

• Speak in a steadfast dependable and determination retired of the bear's path.
• If it follows you, halt and basal your ground.
• Make tons of large noise.
• Act aggressively; try to intimidate the bear.
• If it gets close, usage carnivore spray.