Pilot injured after helicopter crash during wildfire fight in B.C.

B.C. wildfire pilot injured in crash

Pear Lake fire, west of Ridge Lake looking west seen on July 27, 2026 -

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - BC Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)

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A pilot has been taken to hospital after a helicopter crashed while working to put out wildfires in B.C.'s South Cariboo region.

A statement from BC Wildfire Service says it happened Tuesday morning during operations in the Big Bar wildfire complex.

The service says the helicopter landed in a lake near 70 Mile House, an area where buildings and homes have been burned on 120 properties.

It says the pilot was the only occupant and suffered minor injuries.

The service, the Transportation Safety Board, and the provincial worker compensation agency WorkSafeBC are investigating.

Six major fires are burning in the Cariboo region, including the Pear Lake fire, which has grown to more than 1,240 square kilometers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.

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