Mounties are blaming wayward drone pilots for hindering efforts to fight a major wildfire near Fort McMurray, one of the first major blazes of the season.Authorities on Sunday issued an evacuation order for the hamlet of Saprae Creek Estates, southeast of Ft. McMurray, warning its 700 residents to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice.In a statement on social media, municipal authorities said residents should pay attention to fire updates, have an emergency evacuation plan and pack a 72-hour emergency kit.."There is a strong co-ordinated response underway for air and ground suppression," it said. "Community members may see increased smoke as crews use multiple suppression methods to manage the fire. Specialized nighttime air operations will take place when possible." Meanwhile, RCMP complained unauthorized drones were interfering with helicopters called in to douse the flames."This behaviour is a major public safety concern as helicopters are a key element to combating these fires and keeping them under control," RCMP said in a release. "The public is asked to immediately cease flying drones near forest fire areas and in any area that may be in the flight path of these helicopters."Under federal law, only permitted drones can operate within 9.3 kilometres of a forest fire or face jail time.As of 9 am on Monday, the Alberta wildfire status dashboard indicated that the Saprae Creek fire had nearly doubled in size to 67 square hectares and was listed as a Category 5 blaze. The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation..“Wildfires can start very easily in this type of weather. Even with some snow on the ground, fires can still start and spread quickly,”Alberta Wildfire.The Alberta government is bracing itself for what they fear could be another record-breaking fire season.With more than a week left in April, there are 66 active wildfires, three of which are considered out of control. More than half — a total of 36 — are so-called ‘carryover’ fires that are still active from prior years. The total doesn’t include seven ‘mutual assistance’ fires on the BC and Northwest Territories borders where the Alberta Forest Service isn’t the lead department.Meanwhile, Alberta Wildfire has implemented a fire advisory for the entire Fort McMurray area due to current and forecast weather indices. Under an advisory, backyard fire pits and barbecues are still allowed, but new permits won’t be issued until further notice.“Wildfires can start very easily in this type of weather. Even with some snow on the ground, fires can still start and spread quickly,” it said.
