Please do not pilot your drones over the deadly wildfires raging across portions of Southern California. None of the footage is worth grounding emergency response planes—or the potential jail time.
The Federal Aviation Administration was forced to issue a reminder on January 9th, shortly after an unidentified civilian drone collided with a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper at approximately 1PM PST over the Palisades firestorm.
“Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations may face severe fines and criminal prosecution,” the FAA also posted on Thursday evening to social media. “If you fly, emergency responders can’t,” they added, echoing a similar motto from the US Forestry Department.
The resulting impact reportedly made a “football-sized hole” in one of the plane’s wings, forcing its pilots to end their response efforts and land nearby. No one aboard was injured during the emergency, but the Super Scooper on loan from Canada is now reportedly out-of-commission indefinitely.
PHOTO: Firefighting aircraft damaged after colliding with drone over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California.
The plane landed safety and is grounded because of the damage. Officials are investigating. pic.twitter.com/UDAjalGyxR
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) January
10, 2025
“So whose house is not going to get that water to protect it?” a California Fire Department spokesperson told The New York Times on Friday.
[Related: This crowdsourcing app is a lifeline for Californians tracking wildfires.]
Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft in Canada, the CL-415 Super Scooper is specifically designed to fly low over disaster zones and dump as much as 1,600 gallons of water at a time. What makes it particularly crucial in such emergencies is its ability to refill its water container in just 5-10 minutes. According to The War Zone, there are only two of these amphibious turboprop aircraft capable of handling such situations in Los Angeles.
The FAA’s temporary flight restriction (TFL) over the Los Angeles wildfires is currently in effect until at least January 23rd. A TFL applies not only to commercial airplanes, but amateur drone hobbyists, as well.
Do not fly your drone near or around areas affected by the LA wildfires. Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations may face severe fines and criminal prosecution. If you fly, emergency responders can’t. pic.twitter.com/UE5wqAlR1O
— The FAA :airplane: (@FAANews) January
10, 2025
“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the FAA reminded the public on Thursday, adding anyone convicted can also expect up to $75,000 in fines.
“The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses. The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs,” the administration explained.
Such steep penalties are apparently necessary to curb such incidents. Between 2014-2019, the US Forestry Dept. documented 165 drone incursions over wildfires. Aerial firefighting efforts were affected at least nine times alone in 2019.
The Palisades fire has burned over 20,000 acres at the time of writing—roughly the same area as Manhattan. At least 10 people have died as a result of the Los Angeles wildfires. Secret Los Angeles has compiled a list of resources to help emergency responders and evacuees.
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