Please do not fly your drones over the deadly wildfires raging in parts of Southern California. None of the images are worth the grounding of emergency planes – or the possible jail time.
The Federal Aviation Administration was forced to do so send a reminder on Jan. 9, shortly after an unidentified civilian drone collided with a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper over the Palisades firestorm at approximately 1 p.m. PST.
“Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations could face heavy fines and criminal charges.” FAA also has notice on social media on Thursday evening. “If you fly, the emergency services cannot,” they added, echoing a similar motto from the US Forestry Department.
The resulting impact reportedly a “hole the size of a football‘ into one of the plane’s wings, forcing the pilots to end their response efforts and land nearby. No one on board was injured during the emergency, but the Canadian-loaned Super Scooper is now reportedly out of service indefinitely.
PHOTO: Firefighting plane damaged after collision with drone over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California.
The plane landed safely and is on the ground due to the damage. Officials are investigating. pic.twitter.com/UDAjalGyxR
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) January 10, 2025
“So whose house doesn’t get that water to protect it?” a spokesperson for the California Fire Department said The New York Times on Friday.
[Related: This crowdsourcing app is a lifeline for Californians tracking wildfires.]
The CL-415 Super Scooper, manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft in Canada, is specially designed to fly low over disaster areas and dump as much as 1,600 liters of water at a time. What makes it particularly crucial in such emergency situations is its ability to refill the water tank in just 5 to 10 minutes. According to The war zonethere are only two of these amphibious turboprop aircraft in Los Angeles that can handle such situations.
The FAAs temporary flight restriction (TFL) on the Los Angeles wildfires is currently in effect until at least January 23. A TFL applies not only to commercial aircraft, but also to amateur drone hobbyists.
Do not fly your drone near or around areas affected by the LA wildfires. Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations could face heavy fines and criminal charges. If you fly, the emergency services cannot. pic.twitter.com/UE5wqAlR1O
— The FAA: Airplane: (@FAANews) January 10, 2025
“It is a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to disrupt firefighting efforts on public lands,” the FAA reminded the public Thursday, adding that anyone convicted can also expect up to $75,000 in fines.
“The FAA is treating these violations seriously and is considering immediate enforcement actions for these violations. The FAA has not authorized anyone not involved in Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs,” the government explained.
Such high penalties are apparently necessary to curb such incidents. Between 2014 and 2019, the U.S. Forestry Dept. documented 165 drone raids over forest fires. Aerial firefighting was hit at least nine times in 2019 alone.
The Palisades fire has burned more than 50,000 acres at the time of writing – about the same area as Manhattan. At least ten people have died as a result of the Los Angeles wildfires. Secret Los Angeles has compiled a list of resources to help first responders and evacuees.