Rotorcraft
Rogue Drones Impede California Firefighters
Illegal drone flights California forced firefighting helicopters to stand down.

California authorities complained over the weekend that illegally operated recreational drones interfered with their efforts to suppress the recent spate of wildfires there, forcing helicopter tankers to stand down on several occasions for 30 to 40 minutes per incident. Early Friday morning, helicopters flying on the Maria fire near Santa Paula were grounded after a pilot of a Ventura County fire department helicopter reported unauthorized drones in the area. Later in the day, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub reminded recreational drone pilots who fly on fires that they are violating federal law and face stiff penalties for doing so.