A pilot was taken to hospital with minor injuries after a helicopter went down in a lake while fighting wildfires in British Columbia’s Cariboo region.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said in a statement the incident happened around 10:30 Tuesday morning during wildfire operations in the Big Bar wildfire complex.
It said the pilot was the only person on board when the helicopter landed in the water near 70 Mile House.
The B.C. Wildfire Service, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and WorkSafeBC are investigating the incident.
The service’s online dashboard said 22 helicopters were assigned to the Big Bar wildfire complex.
It said conditions in the region are are warm and dry this week, and dense smoke is impacting visibility across the entire fire.
The fires have burned close to 1,300 square kilometres and forced thousands from Clinton, 70 Mile House and the surrounding areas to evacuate.
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