Don’t Ground Air Resources During a Wildfire

As fire personnel continue to put in long hours battling the fires throughout our region, officials are highlighting two major concerns regarding the public that could impact operations.

Department of Natural Resources' Ryan Roderick, working as the PIO for the Red Apple Fire, said that despite the high temperatures this is not the time to be on the water.

"Folks will see those low flying aircraft, those helicopters and Air Attack airplanes getting pretty close into town. Please snap your pictures from a distance. Don't get so close that you might interfere with operations." explained Roderick, "Those aircraft had a lot of success in knocking down parts of that fire (Wednesday)."

Fire officials and law enforcement are also reminding drone enthusiasts to keep their hobby grounded when there is a nearby fire. Any time a drone is spotted near the fire area, all aircraft that would have been fighting the blaze have to fly back to an airport and land.