Police have arrested three people involved in two drone incidents related to aerial firefighting in Los Angeles. L.A. County Sheriff’s department did not release details of the circumstances of their arrest or whether either of the incidents involved the collision of a drone with a CL-415 waterbomber late last week. The specific charges have also not been released. The FBI has also said it’s looking for the drone pilot involved in the collision.
“The FAA is also investigating and reminded drone operators of what they might face if they’re caught busting a TFR. It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands. Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations when temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are in place. The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses. The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs.”
Meanwhile, the so-called SuperScooper amphibious self-loading air tanker is expected to be back in service Tuesday after parts were shipped from the Canadian manufacturer over the weekend. The parts were needed to fix an 18-square-inch hole in the leading edge of a wing. Whether it and all the other aerial assets can fly will depend on the intensity of the winds that were forecast to return on Monday. Gusts as high as 100 mph were anticipated in some areas amid fears they would reignite areas that were contained by ground crews in the last couple of days.
