Oklahoma Forestry Officials Give Warning to Drone Operators

Officials say three incidents have already occurred in past months

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say the operators of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, should avoid flying near or over wildfires.

State Forester Georg Geissler says aircraft used to drop water and fire retardants must divert from the fire when drones are detected in the area. The forestry service says there have been three instances in the past five months of drones at wildfires.

The firefighting aircraft sometimes flies lower than 200 feet from the ground, while drones can fly up to 400 feet. This creates the potential of a plane colliding with a drone, forcing the aircraft to divert away from the fire.

See also  USFA: Colorado On-Duty Death

Officials say there were dozens of instances during the 2015 fire season in the western U.S. where tankers were diverted from fires because of drones.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics

Officials say three incidents have already occurred in past months OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say the operators of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, should avoid flying near or over wildfires. State Forester Georg Geissler says aircraft used to drop water and fire retardants must divert from the fire when […]

Get The Wildland Firefighter Newsletter

Related Articles

Three Firefighters Killed in Turkish Firefighting Helicopter Crash

Three Firefighters Killed in Turkish Firefighting Helicopter Crash

ISTANBUL (AP) — Underwater teams are trying to recover a helicopter that crashed in a lake over the weekend, killing three crew members, while fighting a forest fire in western Turkey, state media reported Monday. Four crew members were aboard the firefighting...

The Hardest Part of Fighting Fire

The Hardest Part of Fighting Fire

No matter what position you hold on the fireline, you are going to have difficulties, challenges and even heartbreaks. When I was just starting out, I didn’t understand the crew dynamics and I found myself the target of some bullying. “Shut Up and Dig” is a story I...