A firefighting aircraft collided with an illegally flying drone above the Palisades fire on Thursday, leading to concerns about the safety of firefighting efforts. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that all aircraft not involved in firefighting operations are prohibited in temporary flight restriction zones around wildfires to prevent such incidents. CalFire spokesperson Christopher Thomas emphasized the dangers posed by drones near wildfires, highlighting the potential for a drone to bring down an aircraft and endanger the lives of pilots. In this particular incident, the aircraft landed safely and no crew members were harmed. However, grounding aircraft due to drone interference reduces the resources available to combat wildfires, hampering containment efforts. Interfering with firefighting operations on public land is a federal offense with severe penalties, including potential imprisonment and fines of up to $75,000 imposed by the FAA on drone pilots who disrupt emergency response activities during temporary flight restrictions.
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FAA reports firefighting aircraft collides with illegally flying drone above Palisades fire in California – Daily News
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