Aerial operations and support are a big part of suppressing wildfires, especially in rough terrain that is hard to access.
"There's a lot of people on the ground that are depending on the use of the aircraft, so if we have our dozers working and we may have the air tankers putting retardant ahead of them to make it a little safer," said Mike Heikka, Battalion Chief for Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue.
Unfortunately, those aerial operations cannot happen if drones are in the area.
"They may think they are small little drones that can’t hurt anything, but that little drone can take down those giant DC-10 tankers as well as the helicopters,” said Sheriff Darin Balaam with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Drones are a lot of fun and they are popping up everywhere. One place you should never see them is during an active fire. Two drones were flying during the Poeville Fire, which caused crews to cease operations for about an hour.
"Anytime we get a report of a drone in an area, especially near a fire, we have to shut down the aircraft, because it's real dangerous if an aircraft flies into a drone or a drone into an aircraft, it could cause a fatality,” said Heikka.
For commercial drone pilots, or 107 certified pilots, there is a test with proper operations of drones, where and when you can use them and how to log flights with the FAA.
In the US, drones are not allowed to fly at night, over crowds, or over first responder activity, including fires. There are a bunch of free apps such as 'Before You Fly' or 'Airmap' that shows where you can and can't fly. Even if you don't have the app, officials say if you see smoke or any first responder activity, don't fly your drone.
"Anytime you see a fire we are going to have aircraft coming into that area, we put in a temporary flight restriction area," said Heikka.
If you do happen to see a drone flying during a fire, you are urged to contact the Washoe County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 775-785-9276.
