A Kelowna, B.C., man will have to pay a $5,000 penalty for flying a drone near an active wildfire. Derek Leippi was found guilty of flying a drone from his boat on Okanagan Lake near a helicopter fighting the McDougall Creek wildfire in 2023. The helicopter pilot testified the drone took his focus away from firefighting efforts. Leippi said he was not aware firefighting efforts were underway. But the judge in the case ruled any reasonable person would know homes and businesses were being evacuated and buildings in flames while the drone was being flown. The maximum penalty for interfering with fire control under the Wildfire Act is $100,000 and up to one year in jail. Leippi was found guilty of violating the Wildfire Act in Kelowna Provincial Court in February.