Refrain from flying drones over raging wildfires. It may seem appealing to record the destructive scenes, but this can severely impede fire control measures. This was the scenario in Los Angeles on January 9, as reported by The LA Times, where a drone crashed into a “Super Scooper” firefighting aircraft during operations for the city’s deadliest wildfire ever known.
In the midst of LA battling its fiercest wildfire, initiating evacuations and damage control, the drone-inflicted disruption plainly compromised the firefighting efforts. Forced to abort its mission, the plane showed significant damage on one of its wings and had to land for immediate repairs.
As per the LA Times, the police are on the hunt for the drone operator while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) probes into the incident. The LA Fire Department has issued a stern reminder that drone operations interfering with firefighting activities can lead to a maximum penalty of a year’s imprisonment or a hefty fine of $75,000.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
