A warning was given on Sunday for the small town of Saprae Creek Estates in northern Alberta. It is located southeast of Fort McMurray.
The Alberta Emergency Alert was sent out at 3:50 pm to warn people in the hamlet about a wildfire that could come towards their community.
Everyone in the area was told to be prepared to leave quickly if needed.
“If you live in Saprae Creek Estates, be aware and do what emergency workers tell you,” the message said.
A couple of hours later, the RCMP said that drones flying near the fire were getting in the way of the firefighters trying to put out the fire.
The police said that the drones were stopping the helicopters from fighting the fire.
The RCMP said that this behavior is a big problem for public safety because helicopters are very important for fighting fires and keeping them from spreading. “Please stop flying drones near forest fires and anywhere helicopters are flying. ”
In Canada, only drone pilots with permission can fly over a forest fire or within 9. 3 kilometers of a forest fire. Not doing what you’re supposed to could result in getting fined or going to jail.
At 7:15 pm, the Alberta Wildfire dashboard showed a big fire burning southeast of the community, just west of the Christina River.
Saprae Creek Estates is about 25 kilometers to the southeast of Fort McMurray.
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Drones disrupt efforts to contain wildfires close to Fort McMurray
