Texas A&M Forest Service issued a plea to the public on Tuesday, saying that a helicopter delivering water to the 150-acre Barth Fire in Caldwell County almost collided with a drone that came within feet of the aircraft on Friday.
“Pilots have no way to detect a drone or know there is one present in the airspace until they see it,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service State Aviation manager. “Suppression aircraft can respond to wildfires quickly, increasing the likelihood that a new ignition remains a small, manageable wildfire. Utilizing aircraft greatly enhances the state’s firefighting efforts, but they have to be able to fly in a safe environment.
At the request of Texas A&M Forest Service, the Federal Aviation Administration implements Temporary Flight Restrictions -- called a TFR -- around wildfire areas, a news release said. All aircraft, including drones, are prohibited from flying in these restricted areas. Further, it is a federal crime to interfere with firefighting aircraft, regardless of whether restrictions are established.
Since July, the agency has utilized more than 60 aviation resources to respond to wildfires. These aircraft have responded to countless wildfires, dropping 502,503 gallons of retardant and more than 3.2 million gallons of water to slow fire spread to assist ground crews and protect homes as well as other critical infrastructure.
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