Those living in and around fire zones were also told to stop using drones to capture the scene.

[umanbean]

It's called the REPORT button.


This community is largely self-policing, which means that moderators will respond and react to problems reported.

I apologize for my part, won't happen again.

I think I'm spending way too much time around here, and definitely too much time in this thread... it's just too darn hot outside to get out and do anything!

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

With some of the comments here, it appears that some have little to no value for human lives.

This includes their own lives.
A drone pilot would probably take on an extremely high risk to fly their drone near a true bushfire / wildfire, needing to likely be within a matter of a mile or two, or on an adjacent ridge line etc to be able to maintain control their drone.

I wonder how many know how these fires move ?

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[shb]

With some of the comments here, it appears that some have little to no value for human lives.

Or maybe they are just completely unaware of how forest fires are fought? Do they think a drone would be harmless because a bunch of firemen are simply going to drive their fire truck through the forest blasting water, and that is how these fires are fought?

I never said a drone would be harmless, and I'm totally against flying them near active fires that are being fought by firefighters. But once some dummy does that, you still have to take the small risk to fight the fire, rather than just let it burn.

 

[anotherlab]

I never said a drone would be harmless, and I'm totally against flying them near active fires that are being fought by firefighters. But once some dummy does that, you still have to take the small risk to fight the fire, rather than just let it burn.

You want to avoid the risk, no matter how small, of colliding with an unauthorized drone

 

[Miner_jeff]

If anyone wants to see close-ups of some of the results of the fire (not endorsing tragedy tourism).
Have a look here (Local News) www.Castanet.net
Or I can take a few photos from my neighborhood once it's safe to use the local hiking trails again or just from the streets that are no longer closed to traffic. I live in one of the neighborhoods directly affected by the fires in Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country. My family and I were ordered to evacuate late on the evening August 17 due to the proximity of the fires to homes and routes of escape. We were allowed to return 7 days later after nearby the fires were considered held.
Check the news archives for reports of the fires here: Castanet.net - Kelowna's Homepage
Fire map timeline Canadian Wildland Fire Information System | Interactive map zoom in to Kelowna (South Central BC, Western most province) Fire began August 16, 2023, as of August 30, 2023 it's still not contained or considered under control near the community of West Kelowna. The latest count I've heard was 189 structures lost in 2 communities.
The wind was fanning the flames and it made it grow so much quicker, We have been in a severe drought condition for some time which also aids the spread of fires. Click through a few days to see the fire area rapidly grow since its discovery. This growth is with air assets and firefighters battling it continuously. I watched the fire descend toward and devour many structures from the East side of the lake from a friend's place with a view of the lake's West shore and hillside. IG David T Wood lives on the same ridge also with a view looking West, He has some video from his perspective found here: https://www.instagram.com/davidtswood/
Shortly after we received word that the fire (+high winds from the southwest + embers) had jumped the lake and started burning on the slopes of the lake's East side. We evacuated soon after.
I can't imagine how much worse it could have been without the airborne fire fighting heroes.

Fly safe everyone, lives and livelyhoods may depend on it.

Miner_Jeff

 

[EssenYVR]

...we received word that the fire (+high winds from the southwest + embers) had jumped the lake and started burning on the slopes of the lake's East side.

For those not familiar with the area, @Miner_jeff is talking about Okanagan Lake, which is about 90 km (50 miles) long. The fire did not go around the lake, it literally jumped over it near its mid-point where the lake is around 1 mile wide. Burning embers carried by high winds ignited the dry foliage on the other shore.

Imagine trying to stop a fire that can jump over a mile of water.

Miner_Jeff, I'm glad you're back in your house, and especially glad that the fire hasn't claimed any lives so far.

 

[sawman]

... it's just too darn hot outside to get out and do anything!

Boy howdy, ain't that the truth! I've been holding off on a couple mid-day mapping flights cause I'm scared of the drone getting too hot and shutting down. It's been a toasty summer for sure.

 

[Robert Prior]

With all due respect, and our patience is wearing very thin with you on this matter, you are clueless about how Dangerous true Wildfire Fighting really is.

Are the people objecting clueless, or do they just not care?

Currently in Alberta there's a lot of online complaining because the government has brought in a law that vehicles must slow down when passing emergency workers if they can't safely give them a full lane clearance. The arguments from those who want to blow by paramedics at 110 km/h (or faster) sound much the same: full of concern that they might not get to do what they want, and dismissing any concern that their actions might be dangerous ("But I'm a safe driver!").

 

[Robert Prior]

I wonder how many know how these fires move ?

I've been caught in a bushfire. 4m flamefront and moving at a jog, and it hadn't really got established yet. A bit more wind and I likely wouldn't have seen the 80s.

They can move really fornicating fast even in light winds, is what I'm saying. Even professionals get trapped.

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Some professional literature on the subject:

Canadian Wildland Fire Information System | Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS)

cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca

And a boardgame simulation written by a fire research scientist, which is a much safer way to see what a fire can do:

SMOKEJUMPERS

microgamedesigngroup.com

 

[MS Coast]

I've been caught in a bushfire. 4m flamefront and moving at a jog, and it hadn't really got established yet. A bit more wind and I likely wouldn't have seen the 80s.

They can move really fornicating fast even in light winds, is what I'm saying. Even professionals get trapped.

And if it's burning up a slope, it moves even faster. And you're moving slower.