Fire fighting zones are no place for sight seeing aircraft like drones.
That from the BC Wildfire Service.
Fire Information Officer Jeromy Corrigan explains why.
The area around a wildfire is usually a hub of aviation fire fighting activity where fixed wing, rotary wing aircraft are used to suppress fire, protect values. Aircraft flying into the area do so at a considerable risk and they do pose a high risk to BC Wildfire Service aviation fleets and pilots and their safety, so it’s definitely not a place you want to be seeing potentially drones flying around.”
Corrigan says a drone could interfere with important fire fighting activities.
“What I would say to that is whenever there is a drone in the vicinity of a wildfire or one a wildfire the proper precautions have to be made. In the interest of air crew and public safety Transport Canada and the BC Wildfire Service explicitly prohibit the use of drones of any size near a wildfire, and the presence of RPAs, UAVs or drones near an active wildfire, they can slow down or completely shut down aerial fire fighting efforts due to the safety concerns that it does potentially pose.”
Corrigan says this has happened a few times in recent years and has delayed the BC Wildfire Service’s fire fighting response in the past.
More Information
The BC Wildfire Service is the primary source of information for all wildfire activity.
Regional District East Kootenay (RDEK) is the primary source of information for evacuation orders and evacuation alerts.
Drive BC for all information on roads and road closures.
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