One Drone Grounded a Firefighting Plane in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES – November 10, 2026 -- Flying a drone near the Southern California wildfires is illegal, and it can stop every firefighting aircraft in the air. Officials are urging residents not to launch drones over the burn areas, and prosecutors say violators will be arrested.
A drone strike sidelined one of two super scoopers
A super scooper plane on contract from Quebec hit a drone while fighting the Palisades Fire. It is one of only two super scoopers available, and officials said it is out of commission until at least Monday while it is repaired.
The pilots did not know they had struck anything until they landed at Van Nuys Airport. Maintenance staff then found a hole the size of a fist, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Maroney.
Maroney said that when a drone is over a fire, all aerial firefighting operations shut down. He called flying in the fire traffic area both dangerous and illegal.