The BC Wildfire Service was forced to suspend aerial efforts to fight an out-of-control wildfire near Lytton on Saturday, thanks to a drone sighted in the area.
The George Road fire is burning about seven kilometres south of Lytton, and has grown to 250 hectares (2.5 square kilometres), up from just 60 hectares on Thursday.
The wildfire service said the drone was spotted over the Fraser River, where helicopters were bucketing, and forced officials to ground aircraft that were working the fire’s south side for about an hour and a half.
“This activity is extremely dangerous and poses a significant safety risk to personnel,” it said.
“If a drone collides with firefighting aircraft the consequences could be deadly.”
Anyone caught operating a drone near an active fire zone could face a fine of up to $100,000, be jailed for a year, or both.
There were 73 firefighters, nine helicopters and two pieces of heavy equipment deployed to the fire on Saturday.
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Evacuation alerts associated with the fire have been issued for 10 properties in Electoral Area “I,” and for IR 20, Kitzowit in the Lytton First Nation.
Smoke from the fire was highly visible from nearby Highway 1 and the community of Lytton.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it is believed to be human-caused.