BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A firefighting trailblazer in Whatcom County has passed away.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue announced that former Lieutenant Leslee Smith passed away from cancer earlier this week. The cancer is considered work-related, as it stemmed from Smith’s exposure to hazardous materials on the job.
She was the first woman to serve as a career firefighter with North Whatcom Fire, which was a position she held for 22 years before retiring in 2021.
Smith was also a volunteer with the City of Blaine Fire Dept before it merged with Whatcom Fire District 13 in 1999.
The Northern Light reports Smith was originally from British Columbia (BC) and worked as a child counselor and behavioral specialist before switching careers.
