A firefighting helicopter attacking two brush fires along southbound I‑25 near Castle Pines Parkway had to briefly halt water drops on Sunday after a drone appeared over the flames, South Metro Fire Rescue said. Crews paused aerial operations while deputies hunted down the pilot, who was later cited for obstructing firefighting operations. The agency did not sugarcoat its warning on social media, telling would-be operators, “Your drone shot isn’t worth someone’s home, or someone’s life.”
In a video shared online, crews described how they quickly tracked down the drone and its operator, according to South Metro Fire Rescue. As reported by KDVR, the fires led officials to close the two right lanes of southbound I‑25 from RidgeGate Parkway to Castle Pines Parkway while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Why Drones Ground Aerial Firefighting
When an unauthorized drone slips into the same airspace as helicopters or air tankers, incident commanders typically pull all manned aircraft out of the area until the unmanned craft is gone, under guidance from the FAA. A small drone can pose a serious collision risk, which means air crews may have to stop water or retardant drops and slow the entire suppression effort.
Similar incidents have played out elsewhere. KSL reported that a drone spotted over the Iron Fire last week led authorities to track down and cite the pilot after aerial operations were disrupted…