Conservation officers successfully apprehend drone spotted flying over Central Okanagan wildfire.

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes, in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, August 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A potentially dangerous situation for firefighters battling the Grouse Complex wildfires in the Central Okanagan after a drone was spotted near one of the blazes.

“Conservation officers with the BC Ministry of Environment were able to identify the operator and seize the drone,” said Brad Litke, BC Wildfire Service, incident commander. “This is a reminder these drones create a significant hazard to our aerial operations, pilots and crews.”

Litke did not reveal where the drone was intercepted.

Anyone found interfering with wildfire control efforts, including flying drones, can face penalties up to $100,000 and/or up to one year in jail.

Over the weekend, Litke said the McDougall Creek fire challenged fire guards around Hidden Creek and planned ignitions in that area were not conducted. Planned ignition work is being done today (Aug. 28) at other sections of the fire adjacent to West Kelowna, which includes 500 hectares along the western edge of the blaze.

The McDougall Creek wildfire is estimated at 12,635 hectares and is still burning out of control.

There has been no growth on the Walroy Lake fire in Kelowna.

“Fire status continues to remain being held,” Litke said. “There are only alerts in place there.”

The situation is similar to the Clarke Creek fire in Lake Country. It is being held at 360 hectares. There are 203 wildland, and 21 structural firefighters working the three fires, along with 31 operation personnel, 12 aircraft and 30 pieces of heavy equipment.

“The BC Wildfire Service will continue to be here shoulder to shoulder with your responders until the threat has left your community,” Litke added

A drone was recently spotted near one of the blazes of the Grouse Complex wildfires in the Central Okanagan, posing a potentially dangerous situation for firefighters. The BC Ministry of Environment’s conservation officers were able to identify the operator and seize the drone. This incident serves as a reminder that drones can create significant hazards to aerial operations, pilots, and crews.

The exact location where the drone was intercepted was not disclosed by Brad Litke, the incident commander of the BC Wildfire Service. It is important to note that interfering with wildfire control efforts, including flying drones, can result in penalties of up to $100,000 and/or up to one year in jail.

Over the weekend, the McDougall Creek fire presented challenges for firefighters as fire guards around Hidden Creek were not able to be established. Planned ignition work is scheduled for today in other sections of the fire adjacent to West Kelowna, covering 500 hectares along the western edge of the blaze. The McDougall Creek wildfire is currently estimated to be burning out of control and has reached an estimated size of 12,635 hectares.

On a more positive note, there has been no growth reported on the Walroy Lake fire in Kelowna. The fire is being held at its current size, and there are only alerts in place for this area.

A similar situation is observed with the Clarke Creek fire in Lake Country, which is being held at 360 hectares. Currently, there are 203 wildland firefighters, 21 structural firefighters, 31 operation personnel, 12 aircraft, and 30 pieces of heavy equipment working on these three fires.

Brad Litke reassured the community that the BC Wildfire Service will continue to support local responders until the threat from these fires has subsided.