A vital firefighting plane dumping water on the Palisades Fire was damaged and briefly grounded by a private drone that was not allowed to be flying in the area, officials said.
Photos released by the FBI showed the drone put a large hole in the aircraft’s wing, with the damage causing about a 30-minute delay in the aerial firefight, ABC 7 reported.
“I’d just like to stress, that technique, using that super scooper aircraft, are our most effective technique to fight fires like this, and when this happens, it puts everybody’s lives at risk,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The Canadian-made Super Scooper planes load up by skimming along the surface of the water — and then dump the contents on fires from a low altitude.
California officials to pleaded with the public to stop flying drones over the areas affected by wildfires to avoid interfering the firefighting aircraft.
“Our biggest concern is that there are so many unauthorized drones in the area that they are impacting law enforcement and firefighters’ efforts to suppress this fire and actually get it contained,” said Davis.
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Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) have been issued in the airspace above the Palisades and Eaton fires, and apply to all private aircraft, including drones.
Despite the restrictions, videos taken by drones showcasing devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods have been popping up across social media.
“We’ll work backward through investigative means to try and recreate that drone and figure out what company owns that drone and who it was assigned to,” said Davis.
