The mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality in British Columbia says drones are endangering helicopters being used to fight wildfires near Fort Nelson, which was ordered evacuated earlier this month.

In a video posted on Facebook, Rob Fraser says drones can be an excellent tool, but under the circumstances where 20 helicopters are flying around, he says drones are B次元官网网址渘othing but hazards.B次元官网网址�

Fraser says helicopter pilots fighting wildfires are under an immense amount of stress, and says they cannot be looking out for drones, warning B次元官网网址渢hey will cause these guys to crash.B次元官网网址�

Fraser says he would take out a drone with a 12-gauge shotgun if he could, but heB次元官网网址檚 not allowed, so he says people caught using drones in the wildfire evacuation areas will be prosecuted B次元官网网址渢o the biggest limitB次元官网网址� possible.

He says people in the evacuation zone have also caused damage to structural protection hoses by driving over them, and have been speeding through areas and catching fire crews off guard.

Fraser says theyB次元官网网址檝e begun preliminary work on getting Fort Nelson back up and running by focusing on B次元官网网址渆ssential businesses,B次元官网网址� pleading with evacuees to be patient as the fire fight continues.

At the nearby Doig River First Nation, an evacuation order has now been downgraded to an alert, and people are urged to stay prepared if another evacuation order is issued.

The BC Wildfire Service said Monday that favourable weather in the next few day in the provinceB次元官网网址檚 northeast will help crews make progress, but the drought situation means conditions are still unseasonably dry.

READ ALSO:

READ ALSO:

The Canadian Press