CHP sends stern message to drone operators near California wildfires

2025-04-28 01:53:24admin

A drone flying near a wildfire in Northern California forced helicopters to stay grounded — and the California High Patrol (CHP) was not happy about it.

On Sunday, it posted an all-uppercase warning to the public on Facebook: "FIRE FIGHTING PLANES CANNOT FLY IF YOUR DRONE IS IN THE AIR."

SEE ALSO: The science behind the fast-moving wildfires that are devastating California

Police found and cited a 24-year-old man for flying the drone, according to The Mercury News.

The pilot had been flying the drone in the vicinity of Petaluma Municipal Airport, forcing air traffic controllers to ground all craft until the drone no longer posed a danger to helicopter blades and engines.

"They shouldn’t be flying over any of the affected areas — notably airports," CHP officer Jonathan Sloat told Mashable in a phone interview.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made it illegal for drones to interfere with firefighting operations anywhere in the country — whether intentional or not.

These wildfires have been the deadliest in California's history, killing at least 40 people, destroying over 5,000 buildings, and causing some 100,000 people to flee the rapidly moving flames. There are 11,000 firefighters battling the blaze, and they need the assistance of planes and helicopters to drop massive loads of fire retardant and survey the fire's progress.

The CHP also warns that drones shouldn't fly over neighborhoods have been completely burned through, leaving only empty, post-apocalyptic lots.

"We don’t want them flying over those areas either," said Sloat. There are still many aircraft -- from the CHP, news stations, and local power utility -- flying around the burned, ash-strewn areas, and authorities fear a collision with a plane or helicopter engine.

Flying drones around Napa and Sonoma County wine country right now might be an exceptionally poor idea, but drones interfering with firefighting aircraft is nothing new. In 2016 alone, the Department of the Interior reported 42 instances of drones interfering with firefighting operations.

If you're in Northern California, please put the drones away. Firefighters have enough to worry about.

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