Police Scotland has asked the public not to fly drones in areas affected by the Cairngorms wildfires, warning that they could hamper the firefighting operation, the force stated.
As part of the multi-agency response, helicopters and other aircraft are regularly conducting water-bombing of the affected areas, and the force said other vehicles within that airspace may interfere with their operations. While no air restrictions have been imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority, the public are asked not to fly personal drones and similar vehicles within the airspace east of Coylumbridge, south of Nethy Bridge, west of Tomintoul, north of Glen Avon and around Cairngorm Mountain until further notice.
Inspector Douglas Livitt was quoted in the press release as saying: “We understand the significant public interest in this ongoing incident and the desire for some to obtain detailed imagery of the current situation, however, in order to ensure that helicopter operations are not stalled or hampered, please refrain from flying unmanned aerial vehicles in the area for the time being.”
He added: “This remains a dynamic situation with a significant level of resource from a variety of agencies and we are all committed to returning the affected area to normality as soon as possible. Our thanks go to the public for their continued support and cooperation.”
The request reflects a recurring hazard at wildfire and major incident scenes, where privately operated drones flown by onlookers or for photography can force firefighting aircraft to suspend operations for safety reasons. A collision between a drone and a low-flying helicopter carrying an underslung water bucket could be catastrophic, and aviation authorities and emergency services routinely warn the public away from the airspace around such incidents.
The appeal comes amid the ongoing response to the Cairngorms wildfire, which prompted a major incident to be declared and led the First Minister to request military aerial support from the UK Government to supplement the helicopters already deployed.
But how will youtubers get their clickbait videos? Just remember what happened during the Hollywood Hills fires when a drone collided with a bombardier fight fighting aircraft, punching a hole in the leading edge.