As flames from the Maria Fire rushed across a hillside in Santa Paula, California, early Friday morning toward thousands of homes, firefighting helicopters dropping water on the blaze were brought to a halt due to interference from unauthorized drones flying over the scene.
A Ventura County Fire Department helicopter pilot radioed in at 3:19 a.m. local time to report that a drone was flying above the flames, presumably to capture photos or video of the dramatic scene below, the Los Angeles Times reported. The aerial fight against the wildfire was immediately stopped and aircraft remained grounded for at least 45 minutes.
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This story is the second in recent months, as detailed in this story.
