Documents detail how N.W.T. wildland firefighter Adam Yeadon died last year, and why no charges were laid

Government documents and reports obtained by CBC News provide more details into the death of wildland firefighter Adam Yeadon last year, and why his employer was not considered responsible for what happened.

Yeadon, 25, died on the job on July 15, 2023, after he was struck by a falling poplar while battling a fire near Fort Liard, N.W.T. 

The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) said earlier this year it wouldn't be laying charges against Yeadon's employer, the N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC).

The findings of the WSCC's investigation, obtained by CBC News through an access to information request, explain why. The documents include transcripts of witness statements, training certificates, weather reports, ECC's own internal investigation and a five-page autopsy report, which was entirely redacted.

Walking into a 'bad area' 

Yeadon was part of a three-person crew working last year near Bovie Lake, about 27 kilometres southeast of Fort Liard. According to the ECC's investigation report, the crew had been working the edge of a wildfire dubbed FS016 by clearing a line and laying down hose. 

After being dropped off at the helipad that day, the team had a safety meeting during which the risk of falling trees was mentioned. ECC's report says Yeadon told one of his crew mates, during a spot safety meeting later that afternoon, that they were walking into a "bad area." 

It was around 4 p.m. that the incident happened. 

The WSCC found that a falling tree in a "danger zone" struck another tree in a "green zone" near the fire where the crew had been working. It was the second tree, a poplar that was more than 15 metres tall according to ECC, that hit Yeadon on the head. He had been looking down at the time, using a chainsaw to cut another tree on the ground. 

The identities of the two other people working with Yeadon — one of them a supervisor — are redacted from the documents given to CBC News. One of the workers said that they saw the two trees going down, but they were between 18 and 30 metres away at the time.

"I didn't know exactly where they were, but I saw two trees coming down. All I did was scream, 'you guys watch out,'" a crew member told Sylvanus Enobile, a WSCC occupational health and safety officer during an interview six days later. A transcript of the interview is contained in the documents. 

Another crew member said the incident "happened right in front of me."

"He [Yeadon] was using ear protection. The chainsaw is so loud and I don't think he heard me yell his name," the second crew member said.

Both colleagues ran to Yeadon after he was hit. ECC's report says they performed first aid, but it didn't work.

"I looked at him, his eyes were closed," one of the crew members said. "I yelled his name and … there was nothing." 

The other reported some challenges communicating what had happened to a helicopter pilot, using a radio, because of the dense tree canopy, but said they were able to get the message through using an InReach device. The chopper brought the RCMP and coroner to the site about two hours after the incident. 

Why the WSCC didn't lay charges

The WSCC ultimately found that Yeadon's death was beyond the control of the people he'd been working with that day, and his employer. 

"This incident, though tragic, did not result from the employer failing to put in place measures to keep workers safe," the commission's findings read. 

The WSCC said Yeadon had been trained to cut trails and brush in the area where he was working, and that he was using the right personal protective gear and had been following procedures. The commission said the other people working with him also had the training they needed, and that first aid equipment and communication devices were on site. 

The WSCC also identified some factors that contributed to Yeadon's death, including a failure to identify hazards, an inadequate warning system and – listed in bold text – a "lack of situational awareness." It does not say who was responsible for filling those gaps. 

The documents also show N.W.T. firefighters started taking a one-day course on assessing dangerous trees that year.

According to ECC's report, assessing dangerous trees is part of the standard S-131 training course that firefighters receive. The objectives of a new one-day course would be to learn how to identify dangerous trees, and rate, mark and deal with them. 

ECC said Yeadon and other firefighters in the Dehcho region weren't scheduled to get that one-day training until this year.

Identifying next steps

ECC's internal investigation report, a 12-page document filed to the WSCC in November, contained a list of more than a dozen recommendations for its own fire program. 

The list includes adding more information and practical training on assessing dangerous trees to firefighting training, and developing a process to report dangerous trees.

The WSCC's investigator also asked members of N.W.T. Fire who it interviewed what they thought could be done to prevent a similar incident in the future. One person suggested better chainsaw training, and mentioned a lack of people designated to assess dangerous trees. 

Another said the changing climate was making circumstances in the bush more uncertain. 

"You can never predict when a tree is going to come down," they said.

Support is available for anyone affected by this story. If you're in the Northwest Territories, you can call 811 or 1-844-259-1793. You can also contact the national crisis line by calling or texting 988.