DEP: Keep Drones Away From Wildfires

Think it would be neat to send your drone over a forest fire?

Think again.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is warning owners of drones - also known as unmanned aerial vehicles - not to use them anywhere near forest fires or wildfires.

The use of drones over active wildfires, national and state parks is illegal, according to the DEP.

The state Forest Fire Service routinely uses planes and helicopters to observe and fight fires. Areas near fires must be kept clear so firefighers can get close to fires to protect structures and contain them.

"While drone owners may not realize the potential danger, the presence of these types of equipment during forest fires hampers our overall ability to protect life and property in our wooded areas," said State Fire Warden Bill Edwards. "A wide variety of aircraft, such as water-dropping helicopters, tanker aircraft and spotter aircraft, often operate above our actions on the ground. Use of drones in areas with aviation traffic is not permissible. In short, if you fly a drone near a wildfire, we can't fly and put out fires."

Anyone who sees a drone over the area of a wildfire should call the DEP's emergency number at 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337), or call your local police or fire department.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is often activated around wildfires to protect firefighting aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Only the agencies involved in the specific firefighting effort can fly any manned or unmanned aircraft in a TFR area.

Anyone who violates a TFR and endangers the safety of manned aircraft could be subject to civil and/or criminal penalties. Even in areas without a TFR, operating a drone could pose a danger to firefighting aircraft and, therefore, would violate federal aviation regulations.

The use of drones near fires has increased locally and nationally. Drones were spotted over wildfires and areas of prescribed burns, according to the DEP.

"Most recently, a low-flying drone above a prescribed burn near the Robbinsville Airport in Mercer County interfered with the airspace around the burn, as well as the area for aircraft approaching the airport," the release states.

Educating people with little or no aviation experience on proper drone use is the focus of the public outreach campaign "Know Before You Fly" developed by the FAA, UAS industry and modeling community. The groups work to educate drone owners about how to operate the equipment safely, in compliance with current regulations, and away from wildfire operations. The National Interagency Fire Center also has posted a video to warn users to "Be Smart. Be Safe. Stay Away."

To learn more about the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, please visit www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/ff_aboutus.htm or like the agency on Facebook.

For more information about Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the "Know Before You Fly" campaign, please visit: www.faa.gov/uas/

For more information about drone safety and the "Be Smart. Be Safe. Stay Away." campaign, please visit: www.nifc.gov/drones/