Throughout the week, our ACC Team searches through emails and news articles looking for someone who deserves to be the Hero of the Week… Find out how you can nominate a Hero of the Week at the bottom of the page.
Heat and drought have led to dangerous conditions out West and North. And, this week, we turn to the fires in Canada’s Jasper National Park where 18-year-old Colleen Knull works as a kitchen aide in the park’s lodge. She is also a volunteer firefighter.
Colleen saw the smoke over the mountain and heard that everyone needed to evacuate the lodge. She knew there were 16 hikers camping in the area, so she headed out to find them. Colleen used her tracking skills and knowledge of the area to locate every one of those hikers. Now, finding them was one thing, but getting the hikers down the mountain would pose more of a problem.
It was getting dark, and the smoke was moving in, getting more intense, so much so that her eyes were burning. But, Colleen had been up the mountain recently on horseback to cut logs – 67 to be exact – on the very same trail she was now on with the hikers. So, she knew she would find 67 cut logs, horse tracks, and manure to help keep her going in the right direction.
Thankfully, with that knowledge, Colleen was able to get all 16 hikers down the mountain to safety. The experience reinforced her dream of being a full-time firefighter.
Learn more about this story as covered by CTV News, Vancouver.
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Suzanne’s Response:
Wow! To have that ability and that passion and knowledge at 18?! And, to stay calm and level-headed during a situation such as a wildfire moving in on you?!
Colleen Knull, of Canada, you are our ACC Hero!
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!