This bill mandates a study on how private drone incursions interfere with wildfire suppression efforts and evaluates methods to prevent such disruptions.
Janelle Bynum
Representative
OR-5
The Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act mandates a study by the FAA, in consultation with the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, to examine how private drone incursions interfere with wildfire suppression efforts on federal lands. This study will analyze data on past interference and evaluate the effectiveness of various prevention methods, such as counter-drone technology and public education. The findings and recommendations will be reported to Congress within 18 months of enactment.
FAA Mandated to Study Drone Interference in Wildfires: Assessing Costs and Countermeasures
The Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act is a straightforward piece of legislation that says, essentially, “We need to figure out just how bad unauthorized drones are messing up our ability to fight wildfires on federal land.” It mandates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), working closely with the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, to conduct an 18-month study on the problem.
The Cost of the Flyover
This isn’t just about annoyance; it’s about safety, time, and money. The FAA study must dig into the last five years of data to count exactly how many times a private drone—defined as an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) flying where the FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction (TFR) due to a fire—caused an incursion. More importantly, they have to put a dollar amount and a time delay on it. If a drone forces a firefighting helicopter or air tanker to ground for an hour, the study must estimate the effect on the total time it took to put out the fire, the delay in deploying aerial teams, and the total cost to the federal government. For the taxpayer, this means getting a clear picture of how a hobbyist drone flight can translate into millions of extra dollars spent and days added to a fire that threatens homes and infrastructure.
Can We Shoot It Down? Assessing Countermeasures
Perhaps the most interesting part of the study focuses on prevention. The FAA isn't just looking at education; they are required to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of some serious countermeasures. This includes high-tech solutions like using counter-drone radio towers to jam signals, but also more physical interventions. Specifically, the study must evaluate the use of “reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy a drone,” or seizing one, including with a net device. This is where things get tricky for private drone operators. While the goal is protecting vital emergency operations, the phrase “reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy” is incredibly broad and could lead to significant property loss if not followed up with clear, narrow rules.
What This Means for Drone Owners and Firefighters
For the aerial firefighting teams on the front lines, this study is a welcome step toward safer operations and fewer delays. When a drone pops up, all manned aircraft must immediately ground themselves—it’s a massive safety hazard—and this bill aims to quantify that disruption and find ways to end it. For private drone operators, especially those who live near federal lands or who enjoy flying recreationally, this study signals a potential tightening of regulations and a serious increase in enforcement. If the FAA determines that physical intervention is a feasible and effective prevention method, future regulations could give federal agencies the explicit authority to take down unauthorized aircraft in TFR zones. The findings, due to Congress within 18 months, will lay the groundwork for future policy, determining whether we lean more on technology, education, or direct intervention to keep the skies clear for the people fighting the fires.