Drone affecting efforts to fight wildfire burning in B.C. Interior, crews say
A wildfire burning south of Lytton in B.C.'s Interior remained out of control Saturday, and fire crews said a drone sighting in the area has hampered their efforts.
The presence of the drone halted air operations on the south side of the fire, according to posts from the BC Wildfire Service on Twitter.
"This activity is extremely dangerous and poses a significant safety risk to personnel," the fire service said in its tweets. "If a drone collides with firefighting aircraft, the consequences could be deadly."
Drone operators must keep their devices away from wildfires, according to the service. Those who fail to stay out of the restricted airspace - which is a radius of five nautical miles around the fire to an altitude of 3,000 feet - can be fined as much as $100,000 and face up to a year of jail time, the wildfire service says.
The George Road fire is burning roughly seven kilometres south of Lytton, adjacent to Highway 1. As of Saturday morning, it was approximately 250 hectares in size, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
The fire is classified as "out of control" and two evacuation alerts have been issued as a result of it.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation alert for 10 residences in Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country). A list of addresses is available on the district's website.
The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation alert for IR 20 Kitzowit, which is located west of the fire. Details on the Lytton First Nation evacuation are posted on the BC Wildfire Service website.
Residents of an area under evacuation alert are advised to be prepared to leave their homes in case it is upgraded to an evacuation order.
According to the wildfire service, the George Road wildfire is believed to be human caused.
A total of 73 firefighters, nine helicopters, three water tenders and two pieces of heavy equipment are battling the blaze.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.