Plane scooping water from ocean to fight wildfires grounded after hitting drone illegally flying over Pacific Palisades

A drone that was being illegally flown damaged and grounded a Super Scooper plane that was leased to help fight the damaging wildfires in Los Angeles.

Officials said the drone collided with the plane and left a fist-sized hole in its wing, which needed repair. Drones are not allowed to fly during firefighting efforts, and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

‘If you fly a drone at one of these brush fires, all aerial operations will be shut down.’

Two Super Scoopers were leased from Canada to help fight the tremendously damaging wildfires in Pacific Palisades and elsewhere in Southern California.

As of Friday morning, the Palisades wildfire had burned through more than 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and businesses. Only 8% of the fire has been contained, but winds are dying down.

The damaged plane will return to service on Monday.

Persons convicted of flying a drone during firefighting can face a prison sentence of up to one year. The FAA said that anyone who interferes with firefighting efforts can also be fined up to $75,000.

“The most important thing to know is that if you fly a drone at one of these brush fires, all aerial operations will be shut down,” said L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. “And we certainly don’t want to have that happen.”

Local California officials, most of whom are Democrats, are facing intense scrutiny over the lack of planning and coordination to save lives and homes from the conflagration.

Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was excoriated for going to Ghana with a U.S. delegation just as officials announced that a life-threatening disaster was imminent. In another embarrassing episode, a Los Angeles Fire Department assistant chief who had been praised for being the first black woman at her post was lambasted for an unearthed video where she appeared to mock fire victims.

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