Culture

Civilian Drone Damages Super Scooper Airplane Fighting LA Fires, Outraging Angelenos and Grounding Vital Aircraft

#California Fires
by
A firefighting plane makes a drop on the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Palisades fire is bein

Getty Image / Brian van der Brug


Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

It’s been a brutal, heartbreaking week in Los Angeles. Wildfires have ripped through communities, leaving death and hundreds of billions of dollars of devastation in their wake. Entire streets have been reduced to ash in Altandena, the Palisades, and Malibu over 12,000 structures destroyed, and at least 11 lives lost. The true death toll may never be fully known. Amid this disaster, the Palisades Fire alone has burned more than 20,000 acres—an area bigger than Manhattan—and remains only 8% contained. The scenes from all over the city are cataclysmic.

If the sheer devastation of the fires isn’t demoralizing enough, smaller incidents are igniting tempers and pushing frustrations to a breaking point.

Case in point: a civilian drone collided with a CL-415 “Super Scooper” airplane on Thursday night, sidelining one of the most essential tools in battling these infernos. The impact left a football-sized hole in the plane’s wing, grounding it for repairs and costing precious time in the fight to contain the deadly flames from the air.

The “Super Scoopers,” which are leased from Quebec each fire season in Los Angeles, are a lifeline air support tool for Southern California’s firefighting efforts. These amphibious planes are specially designed to scoop up 1,600 gallons of water in just seconds from local reservoirs or the ocean, dousing flames in record time.

Even just one temporarily out of service hampers efforts when battling a massive blaze.

A Drone Pilot’s Recklessness Sparks Outrage

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made it clear that flying drones near firefighting operations is illegal, dangerous, and punishable by up to a year in prison or a $75,000 civil fine.

 

“The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the LA firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs,” the agency writes in a statement. “Unauthorized drone flights can delay airborne fire response and pose a threat to firefighters on the ground—allowing wildfires to grow larger.”

Yet, some individuals in Los Angeles continue to flout these rules. While the motives are unclear, a Reddit thread on the Los Angeles subreddit speculates that it could be for clout or in pursuit of creator partnership dollars from social media or video platforms.

The drone responsible for Thursday’s collision was reportedly operating without authorization in a strict Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone, which an area clearly marked as off-limits for all recreational aviation.

Online, anger over this incident is coming to a boil, specifically with restless Angelenos who want these fires to stop wrecking havoc and get under control. One Redditor in the Los Angeles subreddit captured the collective fury, writing:

“To the drone pilot that caused damage to QUE245, I hope you’re reading this and get LIFE in prison for this. Keep in mind this is a 30mil $$ plane.”

The grounding of the Super Scooper has real consequences. Cal Fire spokesman Chris Thomas explained to the New York Times each minute a plane like this is out of service means less water being dropped on the flames. “So whose house is not going to get that water to protect it?” he asked.

Redditors Weigh In

The online discourse surrounding this drone incident has brought out both frustration from Angelenos and insights from the drone-flying community. A Reddit user, u/barkatmoon303, who flies drones commercially, broke down just how intentional—and indefensible—this act likely in a comment on r/LosAngeles:

“There is no way you could ‘accidentally’ be in the path of a firefighting aircraft… All of the software we use glares bright red in areas like this… Every rule in the book also says you have to watch your area and if there are aircraft anywhere near you, you have to land. A big yellow firefighting aircraft is impossible to miss.”

The comment spells out the fallout: lost license, lawsuits, and a ruined career. It’s a clear warning to anyone risking safety for viral clout.

This Is Clout Chasing at a Cost

This incident isn’t the first time drones have interfered with emergency operations. Social media is rife with posts of dramatic drone footage captured in restricted airspace. While the FAA and firefighting agencies do their best to ground rogue pilots, even brief interruptions can jeopardize entire firefighting efforts.

Drone operators are often driven by a misguided desire for stunning visuals and online clout. However, as u/barkatmoon303 aptly pointed out:

“The footage you obtain is a big glaring red arrow pointing right back at you and your illegal activity. It’s akin to recording yourself robbing a mall.”

Meaning as soon as it’s used, it will be very easy for the FAA and authorities to figure out who the pilot was. There’s already plenty of drone footage of the devastation that some drone pilots suspect was obtained in illegal airspace.

The stakes for Los Angeles couldn’t be higher.

Los Angeles, as a whole, are reeling from one of the most catastrophic wildfires in the city’s history, so the timing couldn’t be worse. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Firefighters already face immense challenges, from fierce winds to dry conditions. The last thing they need is reckless interference that puts a plane out of service.

Officials have promised swift action, though a suspect hasn’t been identified yet.

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told the Los Angeles Times that the FBI is planning on using “aerial armor” that block frequencies of these devices to prevent future drone collisions with emergency aircraft.

We’ll see what happens. For now, the priority is getting the fires out.

But as drones become cheaper and commonplace, this unnecessary ordeal is a good reminder in common sense. Your social media video can wait during an emergency. Stay grounded—literally—or face the flames of public outrage and legal consequences. No shot, no matter how high the production value with your little winged toy, is worth endangering lives. Making content for clout doesn’t make you a hero.

You know who are the heroes? These Super Scooper pilots.

As someone living just six miles from the perimeter of the Palisades Fire, I’m rooting for those pilots doing their jobs—not for someone’s next viral video. At this point, my nerves are torn and frayed from the heartache my city is going through.

I’d much rather cheer for videos like this than see some more B-roll of a bad situation.

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, helping start this site in 2009. He lives in Los Angeles and likes writing about music and culture. His podcast is called the Mostly Occasionally Show, featuring interviews with artists and athletes, along with a behind-the-scenes view of BroBible. Read more of his work at brandonwenerd.com. Email: brandon@brobible.com
Tags