The use of drones during wildfires can disrupt response operations

Unauthorized and irresponsible use of drones in wildfire zones can create problems for firefighting aircraft, as seen in a recent collision during the Los Angeles wildfires. A Canadian Super Scooper aircraft assisting with the wildfire suppression was grounded after being hit by a drone.

This incident forced a temporary halt on all air response operations for at least half an hour. Officials in Southern California have requested that people not fly drones in the wildfire zones.

This is not the first time that a drone has disrupted a wildfire response. During the Jasper National Park wildfire in July 2024 all aircrafts were grounded for a significant period of time due to illegal drone operations. Similar cases have been reported during bush fires in Australia.

This incident highlights some of the challenges facing emergency responders by emerging drone technologies. It also highlights the need for more conversations around why wildfire areas are designated as restricted fly zones.

Drone footage published by the LA Times showing damage to the Palisades neighborhood after the wildfires.

Drone incidents

While drone incidents causing human and property damages are relatively rare, detected violations by sensors seem to be very high and are increasing over time.

In 2024, there were 1,190,922 violations in the United States — a 10 per cent increase since 2023. DroneSec, an online platform that tracks drone threats reported 2,554 drone-related incidents globally, reflecting a 60 per cent increase since 2021.

However, only 17 per cent of these incidents led to seizure of the drone, while in five per cent of the cases was the operator apprehended.

Drone incursion in restricted wildfire zones has been a growing concern in Canada, the U.S., Australia and some European countries in the past few years. Since 2016, there has been an average of 23 reported cases of drone incursions in wildfire zones in the U.S. alone.

As the number of recreational and commercial drones increases, the number of incidents and violations are expected to rise. According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than one million drones had been registered by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, there are over 53,000 drones registered with Transport Canada. These numbers do not include drones under 250 grams that are not required to register.

Drones during emergency responses

During emergency response operations, aircraft fly at low altitudes to assess the situation, help fight the fire and conduct search-and-rescue missions.

Drone operations that are not part of the emergency response can cause significant risks to the air crews, aircrafts, ground firefighters and the public. As part of safety protocols, air-based operations are shut down when drones are seen in the air space or a drone incident is reported.

In wildfire emergencies every minute is important. Interruptions of emergency response teams can delay the response and further increase human and property losses.

Those who illegally operate drones in wildfire zones are doing this for a number of reasons including lack of awareness of the rules or restricted zones, personal or commercial gains and pressures, lack of visible and effective enforcement, poor judgement, ambiguity of the rules and underestimating potential risks and consequences.

Information and regulations

There are many tools that are available for drone pilots to check if an area is a restricted airspace or not. In Canada there are several sources including NavCan Drone Flight Planning App and National Research Council Drone Site Selection Tool that show updated permanent and temporary restricted air spaces including wildfire zones.

In the U.S., tools such as B4UFLY and FAA Temporary Flight Restriction map are available.

Since existing technologies cannot fully detect drone rules violations, awareness and public education campaigns may still be the most cost-effective approach in reducing unauthorized drone operations during wildfires.

Government agencies have created several campaigns to increase awareness around this issue. These include Transport Canada’s “Know before you go!” leaflet and the FAA’s digital toolkit, “Drones and Wildfires are a Toxic Mix.”

Drones in emergency responses

Drones equipped with different sensors can provide high-resolution images and data that can be used by emergency managers and first responders for detecting, tracking and identifying wildfires; conducting search-and-rescue missions; suppressing fires; and assessing. Some specialized drones can provide firefighting services, including dispensing water, spraying foam, taking thermal images, locating gas leaks, conducting surveillance and relaying communication.

While unauthorized drone incursions in wildfire zones can hinder response operations, drones and other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are revolutionizing wildfire risk and emergency response management across the globe.

Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.