Drones seem to find themselves in the news every so often these days. From nearly colliding with fully loaded aircrafts to being centerpieces in privacy concerns. Drones and their owners make the general public a bit hostile towards the flying creations.
Even with stricter regulations provided by the governing bodies for drones in each area, these incidents still appear every once in a while. So what does that say about the entire drone community? Are we unaware of the regulations and safety measures? Are we not in any way responsible for ensuring that the responsibilities accompanied with owning drones take effect?
Another incident has occurred regarding drones. And no, this time does not involve an irresponsible drone navigator and an aircraft. This time, it’s just the irresponsible navigator.
Arizona Fire and Drone:
A forest fire broke out in the forests near Flagstaff, Arizona. Part of the forested area in the Coconino National Forest zone caught fire Tuesday afternoon. Eyewitnesses claim that it was a drone that started it all.
According to people in the area at the time, a drone caught fire and landed in the grassy areas of the parks. Whether the drone malfunctioned while still in the air, or the drone caught fire after landing is still unclear. The drone’s operator was in the area trying to put out the fire personally, but as unsuccessful.
The fire started to spread throughout the nearby woodland areas of the park by the afternoon. The local authorities arrived with over 30 firefighters involved in taking out the flames. The forest fire got so intense at one point that visibility over nearby roads and highways were limited. This led to even more fears of a chain reaction, such as traffic accidents occurring.
The fire has been localized as of the evening but was still expected to burn throughout the night. Luckily, no person ended up injured in the fire and the forest area has been contained for further investigation.
