The Department of Forestry is stressing the importance of not using drones while crews are fighting wildfires.

Fire Duty Officer Jeff Motty says drones have already caused havoc in California, where a Quebec-owned plane was struck by a drone looking to get video of the fire.

Fines for flying a drone near a wildfire can be up to $15,000.

Motty says that while drones are in the air, crews won’t be able to fly waterbombers near the fires.

“The province has got a really strong water-bomber fleet in terms of what they are. They’re CL-415s, they’re not easily replaced,” he told VOCM News.

“It’s critically important that people do not fly drones anywhere around active wildfires.”