24-03-2025
NC Forest Service reminds public it's illegal to fly drones over wildfires
DUPLIN COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Officials with the North Carolina Forest Service are reminding people it's illegal to fly drones in the same airspace as wildfires.
If a drone is reported to be near one of the fire-fighting aircrafts, that plane is forced to turn around, putting the pilot and crews on the ground fighting fires, and the public's safety, at risk.
'The most dramatic drone incident is the one in California where a drone impacted a Super Scooper and actually penetrated the wing,' Aviation Division Director Robert Delleo said. 'If that had happened to one of our tankers, as an example, we have what's called a wet wing. If it had penetrated the wing, it would be going into the fuel tank. The drone has a battery in it. The battery is hot. So, it would have been catastrophic.'
Earlier this month, a drone was seen in the same airspace as two wildfires in Eastern North Carolina. These pilots fly tree top level in what's already a high-pressure situation, and worrying about drones does not help.
'We'll never see it (a drone). The tankers are operating at a between 125 and 150 miles an hour. I'm flying that lead plane. I'm doing between 150 and 200 miles an hour. So, we're never going to see it,' Delleo said.
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