Fire officials in Southern California have informed the FAA that a firefighting aircraft struck a drone as it was flying over the Palisades Fire near the Los Angeles County coast, the agency said Thursday.
The strike was reported Thursday on the third day of the wildfire, one of six burning in Los Angeles County. The aircraft landed safely.
The FAA will investigate the collision. NBC News has reached out to Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency, for more information.
Interfering with firefighting efforts on public lands is considered a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison.
“The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs (temporary flight restrictions).”
The Palisades Fire is the largest burning in Los Angeles County. Fanned by a Santa Ana windstorm, the fire destroyed thousands of structures in the Pacific Palisades area. At least one death has been confirmed in the fire zone.