REGIONAL— The spring fire season is right around the corner and as wildfire activity picks up, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, or MIFC, is urging the public to refrain from flying drones near ongoing fire scenes. It’s not just good advice… it’s the law.
Drones can present a serious hazard to pilots who are engaging in firefighting activity. Small drones can be difficult to spot in clear conditions, but in the dense smoke often accompanying wildfires, they can be nearly impossible to spot. A collision between a drone and a firefighting aircraft could be deadly.
“Everyone should expect where there’s wildfire smoke, there’s likely firefighters, helicopters and airplanes on the scene or on the way,” said Leanne Langeberg with MIFC. “Wildfires are hazardous environments, and there is simply no space available for an unplanned drone.”
Minnesota and federal law prohibit interfering with a firefighter in the performance of their official duties, including unauthorized use of drones that delay or restrict wildland firefighting aircraft.
While the convenience of a drone may seem harmless to an operator, a quick look from the sky can easily turn into a dangerous situation for Minnesota’s firefighters. During the peak of Minnesota’s spring wildfire season in mid-May last year, MIFC officials may be coordinating up to 50 firefighting aircraft responding to wildfires or actively seeking new ones across Minnesota each day.
Drones are known to cause significant damage to