The Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is asking boaters to keep an eye on the sky this summer.
With forest fire season well underway, ministry officials are asking those on the water to steer clear of water bombers. If a boater sees one of the aircraft, they are asked to move close to shore so that the plane can scoop up water.
They add a water bomber will not make a scoop from a lake or river if watercraft make it unsafe to do so. This can delay suppressing fires and put people at risk.
For drone operators, officials warn that operating them around a forest fire is illegal, as it puts safety personnel at risk. The “no drone zone” around forest fires is any area within nine kilometres of any forest fire, according to officials.
So far this year the region has not experienced many wildfires. Around a dozen wildfires have been reported by the ministry, which mostly occurred around mid-May. Currently, there are no active forest fires in Ontario.
With files from Trevor Smith-Millar