Los Angeles Firefighting Aircraft Out of Commission After Dunce With Drone Crashes Into It

"We have a saying: ‘If you fly, we can’t.'"

Drone Swatting

Firefighters are still struggling to contain multiple major wildfires as much of Los Angeles county remains under a red flag warning, with fierce winds fanning the flames.

At least ten people have lost their lives and more than 9,000 structures have been damaged so far, the Los Angeles Times reports.

And yet, instead of evacuating the area, some residents are literally getting in the way of lifesaving firefighting efforts. As the New York Times reports, a civilian drone collided with a firefighting plane flying over the Palisades neighborhood on Thursday.

The plane, which belongs to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, managed to land but sustained enough damage to be put out of service — the very last thing the fire department needs right now as the most destructive fire in the California city's history continues to rage on.

Let this be a lesson: according to the Federal Aviation Administration, violations of flight restrictions can land you in prison for up to 12 months and a fine of up to $75,000 — and if that's not bad enough, you could be literally undermining efforts to fight the destruction.

Scoop and Dump

According to Cal Fire officials, the FAA is investigating the incident. The plane's wing was punctured, forcing firefighters to put it out of commission.

The aircraft, a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper, can fly at extremely low altitudes to — as its name suggests — scoop up water from nearby sources and dump it on fires. It can hold 1,600 gallons, and refill it in just five minutes.

Meanwhile, the FAA imposed flight restrictions in the skies above the embattled city. Nobody in the area is allowed to fly drones — despite countless aerial videos getting passed around on social media.

As the NYT points out, drone incursions pose a real risk for firefighters. A sighting can force a plane to be grounded for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, which could be the difference between life and death as flames rage.

"We have a saying: 'If you fly, we can’t,'" Cal Fire spokesman Chris Thomas told the newspaper. "But I don’t know how effective it is because everybody thinks it’s so cool to fly a drone up through the fire."

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