The Westside Road wildfire is 90% contained, and remains at a size of 560 hectares.
BC Wildfire Service spokesperson Melissa Klassen said 60 firefighters are still on scene as of Monday morning, and are currently working on mop-up to ensure everything is kept wet and cool. One helicopter was assigned to the fire on Saturday, however it was forced to land due to a privately-controlled drone in the area.
Thankfully the firefighters were able to overcome the lack of air support, but Klassen noted it was still a serious issue. She explained aircraft fly at low altitudes over fires, which poses a significant safety risk when there is other air traffic in the area they can’t communicate with. Furthermore, she said it is a huge concern when they can’t provide air support to a wildfire. Crews rely heavily on air support, and halting air operations can limit the progress they make on a fire. Klassen added they were fortunate that the wildfire wasn’t expanding at the time the helicopter was grounded.
Airspace over an active wildfire is restricted and illegal to fly over in a five nautical mile radius, and Klassen said they worked with RCMP Saturday to determine where the drone came from. The investigation is ongoing.
