Drones forced firefighting aircraft to stop efforts 10 times in 2024: Report

Crews fighting intense wildfires are sometimes having to put life-saving firefighting operations on hold because of civilian drone operators. The National Interagency Fire Center revealed on Sunday, Sept. 15, that drone incursions forced firefighting aircraft to ground operations at least 10 times so far in 2024.

The agency warned people to "keep drones away from wildfires," in a post shared on Facebook . The agency added , "If you fly, we can't."

There have been 21 incursions so far this year, which is below the yearly average of 23 incursions, and much lower than the all-time record in 2016 of 41 drone incursions.

However, according to those fighting the fires , one drone disruption is one too many. For instance, in 2022, when a wildfire tore through 18 acres of Mt. Helena in Montana, an unauthorized civilian drone reportedly flew through the area, stopping water and fire retardant drops on the fire. Although officials found the drone operator just 15 minutes later , a city park burned during the air stop.

Interfering with firefighting efforts on public land is a federal crime and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can levy fines of up to $20,000 . However, fire officials maintain the best way to prevent disruptions caused by civilian drones is through education. Some fire officials want to add labels that advise drone buyers not to "fly over a wildfire or emergency area."

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