Boaters reminded to stay clear of helicopters as firefighting operations continue
People out on the lake are reminded to give bucketing helicopters plenty of space.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District said the B.C. Wildfire Service was conducting bucketing operations in the Two Mile and Swansea Point areas near Sicamous in response to the Mara Mountain wildfire Thursday, August 1.
However, recreational boaters were getting in the way of operations and making it more difficult for the helicopters to fill their buckets, and the CSRD reminds people to stay away from BCWS operations.
“If boaters see active helicopter traffic, please move along. Mara and Shuswap Lakes are very large, so there’s plenty of space to boat safely without disrupting firefighting efforts,” the CSRD stated on its website.