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The NWT’s wildfire agency urged residents to stop flying drones over wildfires in a Tuesday message, warning it is illegal and could cause havoc.
Facebook groups in the territory have featured drone shots of wildfires uploaded by multiple residents in recent weeks, some of which show the drone moving directly over fires.
“This is not only illegal, but also means all aerial suppression aircraft assets on a wildfire must be grounded if a drone enters the airspace, potentially hampering firefighting efforts,” NWT Fire stated on Tuesday.
Drones over wildfires create “major safety problems for aircraft pilots and ground crews,” the agency added.
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The extent to which drones have actively interfered with operations in recent weeks – during which two communities in the NWT have been evacuated, with a third on evacuation alert – was not immediately clear.
The law states no unauthorized person can fly an aircraft (including any drone) over a forest fire or the area within five nautical miles of one at altitudes below 3,000 feet.
“Wildfire areas are off-limits to all non-operational aircraft without explicit approval from wildfire management officials,” NWT Fire stated.
“Please obey the law – you may be subject to charges and prosecution if you do not. But more importantly, please respect aircraft pilots and firefighters by choosing not to put their safety at risk through your actions.”
The agency said it had been organizing flights “with Indigenous and community leaders in Fort Simpson, Fort Providence, and Jean Marie River to give a clear idea of what the fires look like.”
“When we receive photos, we will look to publish them,” NWT Fire added, “and we will continue publishing regular updates to let you know where the fire is sitting.”
