The City of Flin Flon has stated that water bombers had to be grounded yesterday because of drone interference in the area, impacting efforts to fight a wildfire that jumped the Saskatchewan border. Kristen Hayward, assistant deputy minister with Manitoba Wildfire Service, confirmed the incident during a press conference on Wednesday alongside Premier Wab Kinew. “Unfortunately, aircraft had to be grounded off that fire yesterday as well due to a drone incursion in the airspace over the fire,” said Hayward. “You got a community of thousands of people who’s on the verge of evacuation, and one of the reasons is because we couldn’t fly water bombers in the area,” said Kinew. “Putting your drone up there and getting a video that you can share is simply not worth it.” The Manitoba government told CTV News the drone issue was in Saskatchewan, which was confirmed by the City of Flin Flon — a border community that spans both provinces. Hayward added that it is “disappointing” that people are not hearing the message that operating a drone near a wildfire can impede efforts to respond. Fines up to $15,000 possible According to Manitoba RCMP, drones must be operated away from a natural hazard or disaster area, away from areas where operation could interfere with emergency operations and “far away” from other aircraft. The federal government states that those who break rules regarding drone operation could receive fines up to $3,000 for individuals or up to $15,000 for corporations, with multiple penalties and possible jail time. Manitoba Wildfire Service had to ground planes around a wildfire in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet earlier this month, according to the province. Manitoba RCMP stated that data is not yet available on the number of individuals that have been fined this year for flying a drone that interfered with water bombers.
