Fire officials in Southern California have informed the FAA that a firefighting aircraft struck a drone as it was flying over the Palisades Fire near the Los Angeles County coast, the agency said Thursday.
The Los Angeles Fire Department released a statement regarding the drone strike, noting that the firefighting aircraft was not assigned to the incident.
"Today, January 9, 2025, at approximately 13:00 hours, Quebec 1 was struck by an unmanned drone not assigned to the Palisades Incident," LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said. "Immediately following the collision, Quebec 1 returned to Van Nuys Airport with wing damage and no injuries. Quebec 1 is now out of service until further investigation and repair," he continued.
The strike was reported Thursday on the third day of the wildfire, one of six burning in Los Angeles County. The aircraft landed safely.
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Interfering with firefighting efforts on public lands is considered a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison.
"The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses," the agency said in a statement. "The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs (temporary flight restrictions)."
The Palisades Fire is the largest burning in Los Angeles County. Fanned by a Santa Ana windstorm, the fire destroyed thousands of structures in the Pacific Palisades area. At least one death has been confirmed in the fire zone.
