Direct link to August 2025 video from the National Interagency Fire Center
There are lot of good and safe uses for drones, and the FAA has regulations for flying drones including when drone owners must register their drones, for more information see this FAA website on unmanned aircraft systems (aka drones). In addition the Forest Service under the USDA has a nice webpage on the safe recreational use of drones that may be found here, one of their bullet points focuses on operations near wildfires: "Never fly your UAS over or in close proximity to any fire operation (wildfire or prescribed). UAS flights over fire operations disrupt aerial firefighting operations and create hazardous situations." I have nothing against drones, I have seen good drone footage and am aware that agencies and the media and individuals safely operate drones and follow FAA regulations in their drone operationms
The FAA has a pdf file that they call "Drones & Wildfires Digital Toolkit", they talk about flight restrictions that are often in place over wildfires, penalties for illegally flying drones near wildfires and how to report illegal drone activity near a wildfire. They also refer to how first responders can get approval to fly drones near a wildfire. They include a paragraph on why it is dangerous to fly drones near wildfires:
The US Forest Service states:
Firefighting aircraft fly at very low altitudes, typically just a couple of hundred feet above the ground, the same altitude as drones flown by members of the public and others. This creates the potential for a mid-air collision or pilot distraction that could result in a serious or fatal accident. In addition, an unauthorized UAS that loses its communication link could fall from the sky, causing serious injuries or deaths of firefighters or members of the public on the ground. Unauthorized UAS flights could lead fire managers to suspend aerial wildfire suppression operations – such as airtankers dropping fire retardant and helicopters dropping water – until the UAS has left the airspace and they are confident it won’t return.
Please fly your drone safely and legally and please stay away from the airspace over wildfires.
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