The Grant County Sheriff's Department is reminding drone enthusiasts that flying drones into wildfires is a no-no.

Grant County Sheriff's posted on their Facebook page concerning the drone flyby's and left a stern message concerning the laws that govern wildfires.

Here's what they wrote:

A tiny drone can cause a serious or fatal accident if it collides with firefighting aircraft. In most situations, if drones are spotted near a wildfire, firefighting aircraft must land due to safety concerns. This prolongs firefighting operations; in many cases, wildfires become larger when aircraft are not able to drop fire retardant, water, monitor wildfires from above, or provide tactical information to firefighters. Homes and other values at risk could burn needlessly, firefighters or others could be injured, or worst of all, a fatal accident could occur.

According to federal law, it is illegal to resist or interfere with the efforts of firefighters to extinguish a fire. Doing so can result in a significant fine and/or a mandatory court appearance. So, be smart and just don't fly your drone anywhere near a wildfire. No amount of video or photos are worth the consequences.

It's a stern reminder that if you fly your drone into a wildfire to get video, you might be breaking the law.

 

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