Drivers told to stop pulling over to take photos of B.C. wildfires

Flames from the Donnie Creek wildfire burn along a ridge top north of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

B.C.'s Transportation Ministry is telling people to stop pulling over on the province's highways to take photos of wildfires.

The first social media warning came on Friday, when the ministry said it had received reports of people stopping on the side of the road and engaging in "other unsafe driving behaviour" – particularly on Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

That stretch of road runs through the region in the province seeing the most fire activity, with 163 blazes burning as of Sunday morning. The air quality is so compromised by smoke that it's been described as "apocalyptic."

DriveBC tweeted Friday and again Sunday, reminding drivers to be cautious on the roads as smoke limits visibility and fires create visual distractions.

"Motorists are reminded not to stop on the roadway to view or photograph the fires," the tweets added.

Anyone thinking of flying a drone to get a closer look at a wildfire should also note that doing so risks fines of up to $100,000 and up to 18 months in jail.

There is an automatic restriction in place where wildfires are burning that prohibits any aircraft – including drones – from flying within a radius of five nautical miles of the fire and within 3,000 feet of ground level.