While firefighters battled multiple wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area in January, unauthorized drone activity in the region surged, leading to increased law enforcement.
Within the first week of the outbreak of the fires, Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Robert Harris told reporters that officials had already detected four dozen privately-owned drones flying over the fires. At least three people were arrested as a result, police officials said at the time.
In one case, the pilot of a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft on the third day of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unsafe drone operation, federal officials announced.
Peter Tripp Akemann’s drone hit and damaged a water-dropping Canadian Super Scooper aircraft, Quebec 1. The firefighting aircraft was grounded on January 9 after managing to land safely, according to an FAA statement.
According to authorities, Akemann launched the drone from a Santa Monica parking structure on January 9, flying it more than 1.5 miles toward the Palisades Fire before losing visual contact. The drone then collided with Quebec 1, which was carrying two firefighters.
Attorney Glen Jonas, who is representing Akemann, said he is “deeply remorseful for his mistake” and “takes full responsibility for his serious lapse in judgment.”
Akemann faces a potential one-year prison sentence, with the final decision resting with the judge, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. Under the plea agreement, Akemann must complete 150 hours of wildfire-related community service and pay $65,000 in restitution for the aircraft's damage, McNally stated.
The recent Los Angeles wildfires, including the Eaton, Palisades, and Hurst fires, have caused significant devastation, destroying more than 10,000 structures and resulting in at least 30 deaths. Fueled by extreme drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, the fires spread rapidly, forcing mass evacuations across LA County.
During rescue and firefighting operations throughout January, aircraft trying to contain the Palisades wildfire were frequently forced to leave the area because of unauthorized drones in the air.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna encouraged folks to stay away from areas devastated by fire.
“If you do not have business in the evacuation areas, do not go there,” Luna said in a press conference last month. “You are infringing upon the work that our first responders need to attend to.”