'Like herding cattle': Crews struggle to keep boaters away from wildfire, B.C. water bomber forced to abort refill
The weather isn’t the only challenge for crews fighting a wildfire near Sicamous, B.C. There’s also boaters.
The Two Mile Road fire is situated just two kilometres from Sicamous and is burning out of control along the shores of Mara Lake.
On Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Shuswap station issued a plea to boaters, asking them to stay away.
But it appears some are not getting the message.
On Wednesday, station leader Ron Sutherland said water bombers had to abort at least one flight to refill their pontoons because boats were in the way.
“It’s like herding cattle. If you’ve tried to herd cattle, it’s very hard,” Sutherland told CTV News. “People just seem to want to get in the way and get a better view. It’s just not good. It’s just getting in the way.”
Crews were eventually able to clear the space.
“The RCMP boat was there as well, they stopped a couple of boats, we got a couple of boats and finally got them moved back and the next fly by, (the water bombers) finally got to fill up their pontoons,'' he said.
Under B.C.’s Wildfire Act, a boater getting in the way of firefighting aircraft could face a violation ticket fine of $1,150 or an administrative penalty of up to $100,000. The person could also be charged with an offence under the Wildfire Act, which carries a maximum fine of $100,000.
Sutherland says his organization is run by volunteers and does not have the power to issue fines, but RCMP officers do. He also adds that, so far, boaters have moved on after being told once.
The fire threatening Sicamous started after a van hit a hydro pole, knocking it over and causing power lines to spark in dry grass for 100 metres in either direction, according to the town's mayor.
It happened just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, and by evening the blaze had forced a thousand people to flee their homes and left most of the rest of the residents on evacuation alert.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.