As a break in the weather helps slow the growth of wildfires in the Fraser Canyon, officials are asking the public to stop interfering.

BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) helicopters are working in the area to get ahead of the Brunswick Creek wildfire complex. However, those aerial operations had to be suspended briefly on Saturday when somebody flew a drone in the area.

“To stop our bucketing in the afternoon at a critical time in a critical location on that wildfire is extremely dangerous,” said BCWS fire information officer Julia Caranci.

Wildfires are flight-restricted areas, and the BCWS says operating drones above them is a federal offence that carries a hefty fine and jeopardizes the safety of crews in the air.

But that’s not the only troubling behaviour officials have noticed. The service also says that with Highway 1 reopening between Boston Bar and Lytton, there have been reports of speeding and people pulling over to take photos.

“You’re potentially putting yourself at risk, and potentially putting our responders at risk, which could interrupt our operations, and we’re at a really critical time right now,” Caranci said.

Crews are finally getting ahead of the twin, out-of-control wildfires, which have already burned an area roughly 50 times the size of Stanley Park. Cooler temperatures and some light showers have allowed them to make progress on areas that were previously too dangerous to fight.

This is also buying them time to create containment lines around areas like the community of North Bend, ahead of another week of hot, dry weather.

However, there is one part of the forecast that is helping their cause.

“We aren’t seeing right now a return to the conditions we saw last week, which were those very strong, sustained winds,” Caranci said.

“That combination of things was when we saw that more explosive growth… last week.”

About 260 properties remain under evacuation orders, with the local district saying that there’s still no timeline for when people can return.

A damage assessment is expected to take place in the coming days, which will determine how many structures have been affected.

Local officials say residents are incredibly grateful for the work that first responders — firefighters, police, and all emergency service personnel — are doing to protect their communities.

“We’re just kind of taking it day by day, hour by hour,” said Patricia Ross, chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District.

“I know people are really anxious to learn what’s going on with their properties, so as soon as we can, we’ll let them know.”

And with more resources arriving all the time, there’s more optimism than ever that those communities that have been staring down these fires will come out the other side.

“Definitely, we are making progress,” Caranci said.