Fire danger is high in California with a dozen wildfires burning and 29,000 acres up in flames so far this year. And an increasing problem has been the presence of aerial drones over those fires.
The drones can cause a mid-air collision and force the grounding of planes and helicopters involved in the firefight, according to Heather Williams with CAL FIRE.
“You’re putting everybody’s lives at risk," Williams said. "If we can’t get our aircraft up there fighting the fire from the air and allowing the firefighters on the ground to operate, that delays us in doing our jobs and putting out the fire.”
Williams said people flying drones in wildfire areas can face arrest.
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