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East County News Service
August 11, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to support state and federal bills creating penalties for flying hobby drones where they could interfere with aerial firefighting operations.
Chairman Bill Horn proposed the item to express support for State Bill 167 and House Resolution 3025, which define who is authorized to fly in a wildfire zone and would establish fines and imprisonment for operating unauthorized drones.
Horn says the temporary grounding of firefighting aircraft during the recent fire at Cajon Pass due to drones demonstrates need for penalties. Without aerial drops, that fire jumped across the I-15 freeway in San Bernadino County and burned numerous vehicles, destroying 20 of them.
The board item states that this issue is of concern in San Diego County because our region is prone to wildfires; any interference from drones in a firefight could result in further fire damage and exacerbate an already dangerous situation for firefighters as well as for people on the ground.
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