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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Drone Operators in California Asked to Stop Flying as Collision Danger Grounds Firefighting Choppers |
| 2019-11-03 |
| [SPUTNIKNEWS] Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, declared a state-wide state of emergency this week as wildfires continue to consume tens of thousands of acres of land, damaging hundreds of structures and leading to the evacuation of thousands of people across the state. Nighttime operating water-dropping helicopters operating in Ventura County, southern California were forced to halt their operations for nearly two hours on Friday morning due to the presence of unauthorized, privately operated drones flying over the 10,000 acre Maria blaze, the Los Angeles Times has reported. Emergency services are concerned that the illegal drone operations could collide with firefighting helicopters, causing serious damage. According to the LA Times, a Ventura Fire Department chopper pilot radioed in at 3:19 am on Friday that a drone was spotted operating over the fire, prompting a 45 minute halt to local air operations. At 4:05 am, another drone was spotted, with two more choppers grounded for another hour to make sure the coast was clear. Time is of the essence in battling the Maria blaze, which was only 20 percent contained as of Saturday morning, and which has already led to the evacuation of nearly 11,000 people since starting on Thursday. Later in the day, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub issued an appeal to drone operators, urging them not to fly their equipment near wildfires. "I encourage in the strongest terms anyone interested in doing that to not do so," he said, speaking to news hounds. |
| Posted by:Fred |