Drone collides with firefighting aircraft over Palisades fire, FAA says

A drone collided with a firefighting aircraft flying over the Palisades fire on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The aircraft landed safely and the incident will be investigated, an FAA official said. "It's a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands," the statement said. "Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to 75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations" during a temporary flight restriction. "We hit a drone this afternoon -- first one," said L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.