The B.C. Wildfire Service issued a reminder of the danger posed by drones being flown by the public over wildfires, after one was reported on Tuesday in the vicinity of the ongoing Mount Underwood wildfire near Port Alberni.
“This type of activity is extremely dangerous and poses a significant safety risk to personnel, especially when low-flying firefighting aircraft are present,” the wildlife service said in a social-media post. “If a drone collides with firefighting aircraft, the consequences could be deadly.”
A person found interfering with wildfire-control activities by flying a drone or a similar device could be fined up to $100,000 and/or face a year in jail.
Their use near wildfires is prohibited by Transport Canada and the B.C. Wildfire Service, and applies to airspace of five nautical miles around any smoke or fire to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level.
