Ernest "Ernie" Kingston

Ernest (Ernie) Gordon Kingston was born November 7th,  1960, into a family that had deep roots in the logging industry in British Colombia.  Ernie married in 1983, and by 1991, he and his wife Cheryl had two sons, Gordon (6 yrs.), Darren (3 yrs.), and daughter, Rikki (2 mos.).

On August 1, 1991, Ernie left for work on what was the second to last day before shutting down for fire season.  But that day, a malfunction in the logging machinery, sparked a wildfire on the forest floor.  The logging crew jumped into action to battle the blaze as was required by the British Columbia Forest Act.  

After a few hours, the crew pulled out while water bombers targeted the flames. In the afternoon, the crew returned to deal with hot spots, and six workers, including Ernie, were sent down a steep slope to action any remaining hot spots.  The forest that was along this slope had been cut the previous year and now the slash was dry and highly combustible.  It was reported by one of the crew that the wind changed direction and the fire exploded.  The workers were surrounded by wind-fed flames and they scrambled up the cliff 75 meters to the logging road.  Ernie, who had moved the furthest down the slope, was overcome by thick smoke, the roar of the fire, and the extreme heat. He died within 5 meters of the road, and safety.

The coroner's inquest found the following: there had been confusion in the chain of command during the fighting of the wildfire; Ernie had never received formal training to fight wildfire; there were concerns about his physical fitness after just coming back to work after a back injury. The coroner's recommendations led to changes to the BC Forest Service wildland firefighting requirements. Only those who were physically fit and familiar with working in heavy brush conditions should be assigned front-line firefighting tasks and forestry companies were to better train and prepare their workers to suppress wildfires. Loggers were trained to fight wildfire after Ernie's death, and all crew members had to be certified before being placed in the kind of situation Ernie had faced.

It has been stated several times that Ernie's death is a "powerful reminder of the inherent dangers of many workplaces and as such has brought about the need to protect workers and the public from harm”.  Knowing that Ernie's life meant changes to safety conditions has helped the family and Ernie's friends mourn his loss these past 30+ years.

Ernie has two grandsons now, Dashten and Oakden, who are well aware of who their grandfather was and what he meant to so many. Dashten was preparing to do a school project on the forest industry and he and his dad, Darren, came across the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial website.  In 2004, Ernie's name was submitted as a wildland firefighter by the BC Forest Service to be included on the Memorial Wall in Ottawa.  The family was elated to find this information and wanted to pass on a little more to keep Ernie's memory alive.

Submitted in loving memory by Cheryl (Kingston) Richardson and family