Residents in San Bernardino County, California have had to deal with a number of wildfires this summer. However, on several occasions, the planes and helicopters that are trying to control them have been grounded because of knuckleheads in the area who decide to fly drones while the fires are raging, most likely in hopes of getting video of the fires. Well, the area district attorney has a message for these drone operators–those who keep this up will go to jail.
On Wednesday, the San Bernardino County board of supervisors announced rewards of $25,000 each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who flew drones during three wildfires in July. The most recent of these fires, the “North Fire,” jumped Interstate 15 to destroy 20 cars and four homes. Much of this carnage wouldn’t have happened had the fires been brought under control sooner. These fires are among five in the West this year where firefighting operations had to be delayed due to the presence of drones.
However, on all three occasions, fire officials were forced to ground the planes and helicopters that carry water and flame retardant after drones were spotted in the area. No matter how tiny they are, drones can potentially get sucked into a plane’s engine or a helicopter’s propeller–with potentially catastrophic results. According to the United States Forest Service, whenever a drone–or an “Unmanned Aircraft System,” as the FAA calls it–is spotted in an area where a wildfire is raging, all firefighting planes and helicopters must be grounded until the drone leaves the area and officials are certain it won’t return.
Board chairman James Ramos said that all three fires “spread faster and further” because firefighting aircraft were grounded by drones. District attorney Mike Ramos added that interfering with firefighting operations isn’t just wrong–in California, it’s a crime. He and sheriff John McMahon will actively work to bring anyone who flies a drone during wildfires to justice. District attorney Ramos had another warning–if drones cause delays that cause the death of firefighters or civilians, he will have the operators prosecuted for murder.
Considering just how dangerous this is, it’s hard to blame this district attorney for taking such a heavy-handed line. For pilots, the only thing more dangerous than flying over a wildfire is engaging in aerial combat. Robert West, who has fought wildfires in the sky for four decades, told NPR’s “Morning Edition” earlier this week that pilots have to face serious visibility problems during wildfires, and if a drone’s in the area, “it would just be there” and there would be virtually nothing a pilot could do to avoid it. During the “Lake Fire” in June, firefighters lost an entire day of operations to a drone.
The risk posed to firefighting aircraft is magnified by the fact that they fly at very low altitudes–just a few hundred feet above the ground. Drones fly at the same altitudes, increasing the potential for a catastrophic mid-air collision. Seen in this light, it’s no wonder Ramos is threatening murder charges if these knuckleheads end up getting someone killed.
Officials in several states, as well as the federal government, have mounted extensive outreach efforts to let drone operators know they not only should, but must, keep their drones on the ground during wildfires. Nonetheless, this district attorney deserves to be applauded for taking such a tough line. It may very well take one case of a drone operator winding up in an orange jumpsuit for people to get the hint.
