Uncategorized

Arizona Leads Nation in Illegal Drones Flights Over Wildfires

Arizona is leading the nation in skyrocketing temperatures, dangerous wildfires and a surprising new development: illegal drones flying over wildfires. 

While firefighters battle the flames on the ground and above, citizens are flying their drones illegally over them. In Arizona alone, there have been a reported seven incidents since the beginning of 2017. While that may not seem like a distressing amount, it’s quite alarming when put it into context with the nationwide rate of occurrence. The National Interagency Fire Center reports a dozen total incidents across the country this year so far.

The actions of the drone operators may be born out of pure curiosity, but there are very real consequences to illegal drone operation. The FAA has urged drone operators not to fly near wildfires stating that doing so not only hinders firefighters’ ability to combat fires, but also endangers lives.


The presence of an illegal drone requires the immediate grounding of all aircraft, including the greatly needed aerial support firefighters rely on to contain the fire. Once grounded, an aircraft can remain immobile for hours which is a devastating time loss for firefighters when fighting rapidly spreading wildfires. 

KNAU quotes Mike Johnson of the recent Goodwin Fire command team as saying “It’s a very significant danger. It not only endangers the pilots … but it impacts the firefighters working on the ground because they can’t receive the support they need to safely engage in firefighting activities”.

For that reason, flying drones over wildfires remains an illegal and heavily punishable offense. Gene Alan Carpenter of Prescott Valley faces two felony endangerment charges for flying a drone illegally over the Goodwin Fire on June 24.

While the intention of these civilians may not be to do harm, illegal drone flyovers cause serious risks to the well being of those around them.  Fire authorities insist they should be avoided at all costs to ensure the ability of firefighters to contain dangerous wildfires as quickly and efficiently as possible.