Arizona’s wildfire season has been busy. While people want to get pictures of the blazes while they burn, there are now new efforts to keep people from taking photos from above.
Nationwide, more than 15 drone intrusions have affected aerial firefighting operations. Most recently, in Arizona, fire officials threatened jail time to those impeding on Cedar Fire suppression efforts.
The U.S. Department of the Interior said it is now working with companies AirMap and Skyward to create real-time maps of fire lines.
Christie Wiley, a spokesperson with the Department of Interior said their hope is to create a geofence. So when the virtual boundary is crossed, drone operators will be notified through an app they’ve entered prohibited territory.
“It increases tremendously, the amount of information that’s out to make those drone operators aware," Wiley said. "Because we feel that responsible drone operators are not going to go out and purposefully put the lives of aviators and fire fighters in danger . Wiley said information will then be sent to drone operators thanks to a popular company.
Right now, only the drone operators will be notified in real-time. Wiley said she hopes that same instant notification will soon get to first responders.
