Drone footage has become its own art form on social media, at the worst possible moment—sweeping aerial shots, dramatic wildfire b-roll, the kind of content that racks up views fast. But over the weekend, that hobby collided head-on with an active emergency. Fire officials in Spokane County say they’ve tracked 26 drones crossing into restricted airspace above active firefighting operations since Saturday.
Every one of those incursions came with a cost. When a drone shows up in that airspace, helicopters and air tankers have to stop flying immediately, grounded until crews confirm the sky is clear again.
Fires Growing While Aircraft Sit Idle
The fires burning across Spokane County have already scorched more than 7,000 acres. Containment sits at zero percent as of this morning. Every minute those aircraft sit grounded is a minute the fire gets to spread unchecked — and with homes still burning and thousands of people evacuated, that’s not a minute anyone can spare.
Two drone operators have already been identified and cited. Flying inside a wildfire’s restricted airspace can carry fines up to $10,000, on top of whatever penalties come from interfering with an active emergency response.
A Simple Ask From the People Fighting the Fire
Officials didn’t mince words: “If you see smoke, keep your drone on the ground. No photo or video is worth delaying critical firefighting operations.”…