Drones a troublesome issue for FENZ

Fire and Emergency New Zealand admits drones have became a recurring and troublesome issue after six helicopters at the Lee Valley fire were grounded when a drone was spotted in the area.

Late on Wednesday, FENZ incident controller Steve Trigg (pictured) said a drone sighting at Lee Valley had “completely impacted helicopter operations”.

Firefighting efforts were put on hold for 30 minutes at 7.45pm until Fire and Emergency were able to ascertain the area was safe to fly in again.

Helicopters were back in the air by 8.15pm.

Trigg warned that a mid-air collision between a helicopter and drone could have fatal consequences.

Nelson Marlborough district commander Grant Hayward said yesterday morning the drones were a “hindrance” that made the situation “unsafe” for fire fighting crews.

“Drone operations, for us, especially when we’ve got helicopters working, is a bit of an issue.”

If a drone was spotted while Fire and Emergency had helicopters working on a job, operations had to stop immediately, Hayward said.

“We have to think about the safety of our pilots as well as our firefighters and until we can eliminate that risk, we have to stop operations ... It’s annoying for our crews.”

Hayward’s key message for the public was not to use drones.

“We just don’t want it to happen.” Hayward said FENZ was working with other agencies to identify the drone operator.

FENZ senior aviation specialist Stephan Bishop said helicopters and fixed wing aircraft operate at low levels when they are carrying out aerial firefighting and the pilots were “intensely focused”.

They often were flying under 500 feet, in difficult terrain and poor visibility and by nature, drones were relatively small and difficult to spot, he said.

“Any impact with a drone can cause severe damage and potentially result in a catastrophic crash and loss of life.

“We want drone operators to remember this: if you fly, we can’t.”

Bishop reminded drone operators that if helicopters had to be grounded then fires could increase in size and intensity, and may be harder to contain and control.

Unauthorised drones cannot be anywhere near a fire scene, or where helicopters were dipping monsoon buckets, or in the flight path between the water source and drop off zone.

Bishop reminded the public that all drone operators must comply with Civil Aviation Authority rules and breaches of these rules could lead to fines or imprisonment.

Police have prosecuted people who have flown their drones around fire scenes, Bishop said.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said the organisation was in “ongoing discussions with relevant organisations” regarding the drone incident disrupting emergency services.

“A statement will be released once we have a clear understanding of the issue,” it said.

Helicopters resumed work in Lee Valley at 6.30am yesterday.

The fire has yet to be contained but no damage has been reported to any properties.