This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Lawmakers are working to ground unmanned aerial drones that interfere with fighting wildfires.
The House Natural Resources Committee unanimously endorsed HB126 on Friday, and sent it to the full House.
Rep. Kraig Powell, R-Heber City, sponsor of the bill that creates criminal penalties for violating the ban, said that drones have forced the grounding of aircraft fighting several wildfires recently to ensure they did not collide with the drones.
That included interfering with aircraft fighting a fire on the back of Mt. Timpanogos in September — and forcing an airplane there to dump a load of fire retardant outside of its target area. Powell said outrage in his district about that incident led him to file the bill.
Powell's legislation would make it a misdemeanor to fly a drone within three miles of a wildfire, and a felony if it leads to any loss of life.
Powell said public utilities, media and other groups could still legally use drones in a fire area if they coordinate with the incident commander.
— Lee Davidson