A private drone came in the way of a Super Scooper aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire forcing it to be grounded. The drone made a hole in the wing of the firefighting plane making it out of service though there were no injuries. Los Angeles authorities vowed to prosecute illegal drone fights after this incident as irate people asked who the idiot was flying the drone obstructing the emergency operation.
The specifically designed CL-415 firefighting planes are used to scoop up more than 1,500 gallons of ocean water to drop on active fires.
Photos released by the FBI showed the drone put a large hole in the aircraft’s wing, with the damage causing about a 30-minute delay in the aerial firefight, ABC 7 reported.
“I’d just like to stress, that technique, using that super scooper aircraft, are our most effective technique to fight fires like this, and when this happens, it puts everybody’s lives at risk,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
“Our biggest concern is that there are so many unauthorized drones in the area that they are impacting law enforcement and firefighters’ efforts to suppress this fire and actually get it contained,” said Davis.
“When you take one plane out of commission like that, it’s going to impact the speed in which the fire grows, it’s going to cause loss of property, potentially loss of life, and it’s a danger to everybody all around,” Davis continued.
According to the latest updates, 11 people have been killed in the Eaton fire, near Pasadena, and five died in the Palisades fire, on the west side of Los Angeles. The authorities have warned that conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days as devastating wildfires continue to rage across different parts of Los Angeles County, leading to widespread disruptions, including school closures and the cancellation of entertainment, sports, and community events.
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