One of only two Super Scooper planes helping to fight the Los Angeles wildfires has been taken out of action after it collided with a drone.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said that the aircraft landed safely, but LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told the LA Times that it was damaged in the encounter on Thursday.
“We hit a drone this afternoon — first one,” Marrone said.
“It put a hole in the wing,” he added. “It’s grounded now.”
The aircraft, named the Quebec 1, struck the drone at around 1 p.m. Thursday, according to the LA County Fire Department.
Fire services have been operating two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft, known as Super Scoopers, as well as several other aircraft to try to combat the massive wildfires ravaging Southern California.
The planes are fitted with tanks that skim from large bodies of water to “scoop” it up and then drop it on fires from above.
“Flying a drone near a wildfire is dangerous and can cost lives,” the FAA said in its statement, adding that it’s a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands, punishable by up to a year in prison.
There’s also a civil penalty of up to $75,000 for drone operators who interfere with emergency and wildfire responders during temporary flight restrictions, it said.
As of 4.18 p.m. local time on Thursday, the FAA issued the first of three NOTAM flight operating restrictions over large areas above the fires, to allow firefighting aircraft to operate.
The FAA statement said that when people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision.
“Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger,” it said.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesperson Chris Thomas told military news site The War Zone that the damaged Super Scooper was one of only two in its arsenal.
He also said that other aircraft fighting the blazes had been temporarily grounded as well.
“This is creating a huge danger,” Thomas added. “This is an unprecedented fire. When we ground all aircraft, it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour. You know how far a fire can spread in half an hour.”
As of early Friday, almost 36,000 acres had been set on fire, according to official figures.
The drone operator has not been identified, but there has been speculation online, with many social media users pointing to photography accounts that have posted aerial images of the fires.
Consumer drones hit the headlines last month after a spate of drone sightings over the East Coast raised public anxiety, even after the White House and Pentagon said the drones didn’t pose a threat.
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