Los Angeles wildfires: California police arrest multiple drone pilots as firefighters battle infernos
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Police arrested three people following two drone incidents as authorities report numerous encounters with aerial operations, potentially hampering lifesaving measures as wildfires rage throughout Southern California.
As of Monday afternoon, charges had not been released. Two arrests stem from one drone incident, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
“If you do not have business in the evacuation areas, do not go there,” Luna said in a press conference on Monday. “You are infringing upon the work that our first responders need to attend to.”
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Cal Fire told Fox News Digital that the department is unable to provide details regarding the incidents, citing a lack of insight into the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigations.
The FAA directed Fox News Digital to local authorities for questions relating to the arrests.
Last week, a civilian drone struck a Super Scooper plane, leaving a “fist-sized hole” in the wing and grounding the potentially life-saving aircraft for a few days.
“We are working with our public and private sector counterparts to try to identify the operator of that drone,” said Akil Davis, FBI assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. “But since that incident, we have had [more than 10] contacts with drone operators in which we have warned and fined in previous years.”
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The plane flies at low altitudes to scoop water from the ocean and douse wildfires, and is one of two aircraft on loan from Quebec.
The Super Scooper has been repaired and is expected to return to the air on Tuesday, pending approval from the FAA. Authorities originally expected the aircraft to be back in commission by Monday.
The incident has resulted in authorities warning the public to refrain from flying drones within wildfire areas. Temporary flight restrictions have been placed above the wildfire zones and federal authorities have deployed ground teams to intercept pilots violating FAA restrictions.
“The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs,” the FAA said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Forty-eight privately owned drones have been detected in wildfire zones, Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Robert Harris said during a briefing on Saturday evening.
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The FAA has warned against the dangers of drone activity interfering with first responders. Aircraft battling wildfires often fly at low altitudes, which could result in encounters with drones, such as mid-air collisions or pilot distractions. Additionally, drones could lose connection and fall from the sky, potentially striking firefighters or civilians on the ground.
Flying a drone in a wildfire zone could force first responders to ground aircraft, resulting in delays and threatening the safety of firefighters, civilians, and structures.
“Drones are probably one of our most significant threats right now in law enforcement,” Davis said.
Interfering with firefighting operations on public land is a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison. The FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 if a drone pilot interferes with wildfire suppression or law enforcement efforts when temporary flight restrictions are in place.
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The FAA encourages the public to use their FAA Hotline web form to report any violations of Federal Aviation Regulations.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, Michael Ruiz and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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