Trending Topics

Drones ground firefighting planes during Calif. wildfire

Cal Fire Public Information Officer Daniel Berlant wrote that pilots’ lives were put at risk due to the hobby drone

CBS Los Angeles

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. — A drone flying above a 20,000-acre brush fire in the San Bernardino Mountains interfered with the firefight Wednesday, officials say.

Fixed-wing air craft had to be grounded due to FAA regulations after a drone was seen flying over the Onyx Summit area around 5:30 p.m., Cal Fire officials say.

A spokesperson for the agency says the sheriff’s department was contacted. In a tweet posted around 7:30 p.m., Cal Fire Public Information Officer Daniel Berlant wrote that pilots’ lives were put “at risk” due to the “hobby drone.”

Full story: Cal Fire: Drone Grounded Firefighting Aircraft Near Big Bear Lake

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU