IF YOU SEE WILDFIRE SMOKE, FLY AWAY!
Horizontal Buffer: Avoid wildfire smoke by at least 15 miles.
Vertical Buffer: Completely avoid the airspace from the surface to 5,000 ft. AGL.
The Risk: Flying in the vicinity of wildfires interferes with firefighting operations and places human lives at immediate risk!
Why This Airspace is Extremely Dangerous
- High-Density Traffic: You should expect multiple emergency helicopters and airplanes flying in different patterns and at varying altitudes directly above a wildfire.
- Active Firefighting Orbits: These aircraft will be circling the fire area, including the column of smoke, actively engaged in critical suppression operations.
- Severely Hindered Pilot Visibility: Aerial firefighting pilots face limited ability to actively scan for your aircraft or drone due to their tight orbits, intense concentration on target acquisition, rugged terrain, and thick smoke.
- Rapid Convergence: Response times for firefighting aircraft are exceptionally rapid. Emergency aircraft may be traveling toward a smoke column from various directions in a very short period of time.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) & Detection
- Do Not Rely Solely on TFRs: Not all aerial firefighting operations have an active Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the operating area when emergency response begins.
- Rapid Implementation: TFRs can and will be enacted rapidly for the safety of firefighting aircraft. Always use visual smoke as your immediate cue to clear the area, even if your tablet or GPS does not show a restricted zone yet.
- Automated Detection: Local authorities are monitoring situations instantly; for example, California utilizes more than 1,080 wildfire cameras across the state to automatically identify fires.
Proper Reporting & Radio Etiquette
- Aircraft On-Scene: Do not report wildfires that already have firefighting aircraft on-scene.
- Unreported Fires: To report a wildfire that you believe has not been reported yet, immediately contact the servicing tower, approach control, or flight service station.
Special Note for Drone (UAS) Operators
If you see wildfire smoke, fly away or land your drone immediately. Unless you are an authorized part of the emergency response, flying a drone in the vicinity of a wildfire interferes with critical suppression operations and places the lives of low-flying firefighting crews at severe risk.
Sent by the FAA Special Programs Section, AFS-830
