Union County warns drone flights can disrupt wildfire response

A single unauthorized drone over a wildfire can force aircraft to stand down, delay suppression, and put firefighters and nearby communities at greater risk. That warning landed with added weight in Union County, where regulated use fire season took effect June 3 and the Oregon Department of Forestry said fire season began June 8 on protected lands across Union, Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla, Malheur, Morrow and Grant counties.

The danger was not theoretical. Elkhorn Media Group reported June 17 that helicopters were grounded after public drones were spotted near a wildfire east of Pendleton, and a June 16 report said the fast-moving blaze, later identified as the Old Emigrant Fire, had grown to more than 450 acres and was about eight miles east of Pendleton. Another report said aerial firefighting operations resumed on a 1,500-acre wildfire east of Pendleton after the drones were cleared from the area. When air crews have to pull back, the fire has more room to spread and ground crews lose a critical tool for slowing it down.

Union County Emergency Services brought the issue closer to home by pointing to the problem in a recent post, signaling that county officials do not want the same interference reaching fires inside Union County. The county’s 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies 57 communities at risk and says wildfire risk to homes is higher than 94% of counties nationally, a stark reminder that a brief drone flight can have consequences far beyond one operator’s camera footage.

The penalties are serious. The Federal Aviation Administration says public safety officials and media need a Remote Pilot Certificate or Certificate of Authorization to fly in a Temporary Flight Restriction. Federal law allows a civil penalty of up to $20,000 for knowingly or recklessly interfering with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response efforts. Another federal statute makes unauthorized drone interference with wildfire suppression punishable by a fine, up to two years in prison, or both. In 2025, the FAA said it fined one drone operator $36,770 for operating near emergency response aircraft during a wildfire on April 4, 2023.

The broader message for Union County is simple: if a wildfire is burning, keep drones on the ground. The Oregon Department of Forestry says aviation resources are essential to wildfire operations in Oregon and Washington, and it protects 16 million acres of forest it describes as a $60 billion asset. In a season when every helicopter, retardant drop and evacuation route matters, one reckless flight can disrupt the entire response.