Officials are warning the public not to fly drones near the Spokane Complex fires after unauthorized drones repeatedly entered restricted airspace, disrupting a
Officials are warning the public not to fly drones near the Spokane Complex fires after unauthorized drones repeatedly entered restricted airspace, disrupting aerial firefighting operations, such as critical water drops.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established a Temporary Flight Restriction covering the airspace around the fires to protect firefighting aircraft and personnel. The restriction applies to all unauthorized aircraft, including drones.
An image of a water drop in progress. (Spokane Valley Fire)The restriction comes as firefighters are making significant progress containing Spokane Area Fires, according to officials Wednesday. Firefighters have successfully established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires.
Current containment is 13% on the Autumn Lane Fire, 13% on the Old Trails Fire, and 5% on the Fairview Fire, officials said.
The FBI Counter UAS Task Force has deployed specialized equipment to detect unauthorized drones operating within the 24-hour restricted airspace.
The system detected 26 unauthorized drones on Aug. 2 and 13 more on Aug. 3. At least one of those incursions forced aerial firefighting operations to stop temporarily, authorities said.
Miriam Sim, 76, reacts while talking about her neighborhood largely burning to the ground after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash., Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)Firefighting aircraft have been grounded at times because of drone activity within the fire area, disrupting suppression efforts and creating significant safety risks for emergency responders, officials said.
They emphasized that air resources are critical during a wildfire.
Operating a drone without authorization in restricted airspace is illegal and dangerous and may result in civil or criminal penalties, officials said.
Authorities urged drone operators to check for Temporary Flight Restrictions, no-drone zones and local ordinances before flying. They also encouraged pilots to use the FAA's B4UFLY tool to confirm whether drone operations are permitted in a given location.
Officials reiterated a simple message to the public: Do not fly drones near a wildfire.
