Unauthorized drones in wildfire suppression zones hinder operations, present risk to personnel, agency officials say
State and federal firefighters say they’re encountering a growing number of incidents involving small drones in airspace above and around wildfires. When that happens, firefighters must ground their aircraft, which delays operations to extinguish the fire.
State Division of Forestry spokesperson Sam Harrell says the problem was especially bad last weekend. That’s when rogue operators repeatedly piloted their drones into airspace around the Nenana Ridge Complex fires burning west of Fairbanks.
“There were incursions noticed by fire personnel working on the ground on Friday,” Harrell said. “Didn’t notice any on Saturday, but there have been repeated sightings on Sunday -- afternoon and into Sunday evening.”
Harrell said in an interview Sunday that that happened while firefighters were coordinating their operations with authorized aircraft flying around in the busy airspace.
“Nenana Airport is a popular airport,” he said. “Fairbanks International is a huge, popular airport for recreational small aircraft. And not to mention all the private and semi-private airstrips across the area. It's Alaska. There's a lot of aircraft flying.”
Drone incursions also have been reported around wildfires north of Fairbanks and near Tok.
Professional and private pilots typically observe airspace restrictions, and when necessary ask for permission to fly near or through the area.
Firefighting agencies fly their own drones, and also aircraft that dump water or fire retardant or conduct reconnaissance.
“We have repeatedly have had a drone enter this restricted airspace,” Harrell said, “and when that happens, firefighting aircraft have to land, because it's not safe to fly when there's unauthorized aircraft in the area.”
Forestry spokesperson Emery Johnson says one of the hazards posed by unauthorized drones is that pilots flying larger aircraft often can’t see them.
“It's a pretty dangerous situation for the pilots and the crew members that are in these aircraft,” she said.
Johnson said the main concern is a mid-air collision. Small- to medium-sized drones typically have a wingspan of a foot or two and weigh up to 5 pounds. Larger drones’ have wingspans up to 6 feet, and can weigh more than 50 pounds.
“Even a bird strike, something as small as a bird, can be very dangerous,” she said. “And so when you're looking at drones, despite their size, it can also make very serious impacts.”
Officials haven’t reported any midair collisions involving drones in Alaska.
But a firefighting plane assigned to Los Angeles-area fires last January collided with a drone that punched a fist-sized hole in the water-scooper’s wing. The plane had to be grounded while crews repaired the damage.
“Even if there's not catastrophic failure,” she said, “it's still damage, time down, cost aspect, time lost.”
According to media accounts, a judge sentenced the drone operator to a year in prison, 150 hours of community service and $65,000 in restitution to help pay for repairing the plane.
Harrell says authorities have responded to the growing problem by establishing stiff penalties.
“It's a federal crime,” he said. “It's punishable up to 12 months in prison, civil penalties up to $20,000 for any pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations. It is a big deal.”
Despite those penalties and nationwide publicity campaigns, firefighting agencies say the problem persists. The U.S. Forest Service says an average of 23 incursions have occurred nationwide annually since 2016.
Johnson says the problem appears to be growing in Alaska, but the state Forestry Division couldn’t say how many drone incursions have occurred this year. She says part of the problem is drones have become inexpensive and widely available.
“You can pretty much buy them on Amazon, “ she said. “You're seeing that more and more -- members of the public utilizing drones of different types and sizes.”
Longtime drone operator and instructor Norm Cosgrove agrees. Fifteen years ago, he organized a Delta Junction-based club for fellow enthusiasts called Delta RC Flyers. He says based on his experience, most people who buy a drone just want to open the box and fly it.
“A large portion of the population just doesn't understand the rules that go with it,” he said.
Cosgrove requires members of the club, most of whom are teen-agers, to register their drones and learn federal regulations on when and how they can fly them. But he says other drone operators he’s encountered, including those who want to shoot video for their social-media feeds, aren’t as careful.
“There's always those that (say) ‘No one should tell me what I can and can't do.’ They just think they have the right to, no matter if they know the rules or not.”
Cosgrove says that attitude is one of reasons people fly their drones in active firefighting areas.
