Drones force 'complete shutdown' of aerial firefighting efforts at B.C.'s biggest wildfire

The BC Wildfire Service had to shut down aerial operations fighting the province's biggest blaze Monday because people were flying drones in the area, according to a social media post.

The Keremeos Creek Wildfire is currently classified as "being held" and evacuation alerts and orders have been rescinded but it is still estimated at more than 7,000 hectares. Seventy-eight firefighters, three helicopters and three pieces of heavy equipment are still on scene working to keep it contained, according to the service's website.

The service took to Twitter to remind people of the dangers of flying drones in areas where firefighters are working, after two separate instances of "unauthorized" usage.

"The presence of drones on the wildfire resulted in a complete shutdown of aerial firefighting efforts due to safety concerns. This type of activity is extremely dangerous," the post began.

"It poses a significant safety risk to BC wildfire personnel, especially when low-flying firefighting aircraft are present. If a drone collides with firefighting aircraft, the consequences could be deadly. There is zero tolerance for people who fly drones in active wildfire areas."

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, the service says.

The penalty for this includes fines as high as $100,000 and up to 18 months in jail.

Today, there were 2 occurrences of unauthorized drone activity on the Keremeos Creek wildfire (K50863). The presence of drones on the wildfire resulted in a complete shutdown of aerial firefighting efforts due to safety concerns. This type of activity is extremely dangerous, pic.twitter.com/nKi0wuoJdI

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 30, 2022