Authorities Are Seeking The Operator Of The Aircraft

Firefighting efforts in California's Santa Cruz Mountains were halted for a few hours on Wednesday after a drone was sighted being flown in an area where firefighting aircraft were also operating.

The incident occurred in the vicinity of the Bear Fire in Boulder Creek, CA. SFGate reports that flights were halted about 10:30 a.m. local time after the drone was spotted. Authorities grounded all manned aircraft flying in the area until it was determined that the drone was no longer in the air. Operations resumed about noon, according to the report.

Authorities have not yet identified the person operating the drone. Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Chris Clark said that there are "a lot of people trying to put this fire out. This only slows that down."

The FAA posted the following statement on its website:

"The FAA warns unauthorized drone operators that they may be subject to significant fines if they interfere with emergency response operations. Flying a drone without authorization in or near the disaster area may violate federal, state, or local laws and ordinances, even if a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is not in place. Allow first responders to save lives and property without interference."

Cal Fire estimates that the fire, which has burned nearly 300 acres, is only about 10 percent contained.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.fire.ca.gov, Original Report