International- British Columbia firefighters had to halt aerial operations to fight a wildfire because of nearby drones.
- The blaze is the province's largest, at about 27 square miles.
You wouldn't think that you'd need to add "personal drones" to a list of factors that make today's wildfires even more unsafe.
In British Columbia, at least, you do.
The online site of Vancouver's CTV News reported Monday that the BC Wildfire Service had to shut down aerial operations fighting the Keremos Creek Wildfire because people were flying drones in the area.
The fire, which covers about 27 square miles, has been classified as "being held," although evacuation alerts and orders have been rescinded, according to CTV, which also reported that the site continued to include 78 firefighters, 3 helicopters, and 3 pieces of heavy equipment in the area working on containing the blaze.
The fire service even took to Twitter to remind people that flying drones is both extremely dangerous — and illegal.
"It poses a significant safety risk to BC wildfire personnel, especially when low-flying firefighting aircraft are present," the service's tweet reads. "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."
The fire service went on to reiterate that any aircraft — including drones — are automatically restricted from flying within a radius of 5 nautical miles from burning and within 3,000 feet of ground level. The penalty includes fines as high as $100,000 and up to 18 months in jail.