Drone nearly collides with firefighting helicopter in Caldwell County

CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) - The Texas A&M Forest Service is reminding drone operators that they are not allowed to fly their drones when there is a wildfire nearby.

On Friday, a helicopter delivering water to a 150-acre fire in Caldwell County almost collided with a drone. The forest service says the drone came within feet of the aircraft.

Officials say drones are a serious hazard and someone could be killed if it collides with an aircraft.

“Pilots have no way to detect a drone or know there is one present in the airspace until they see it,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service State Aviation Manager. “Suppression aircraft can respond to wildfires quickly, increasing the likelihood that a new ignition remains a small, manageable wildfire. Utilizing aircraft greatly enhances the state’s firefighting efforts, but they have to be able to fly in a safe environment.”

If a drone is seen in the area, firefighting aircraft will be suspended until the drone leaves, which could result in a larger fire, according to the Forest Service.

At the request of the forest service, the FAA implements Temporary Flight Restrictions when a wildfire is burning. That means aircraft, including drones, are not allowed to fly nearby.

Since July, the forest service has used more than 60 aviation resources to respond to wildfires. These aircraft have dropped 502,503 gallons of retardant and more than 3.2 million gallons of water.

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