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Wildfire

News, deep dives, and analysis — every Wildfire story, newest first.

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Pilot Institute weekly UAS news update thumbnail covering a Colorado drone pilot case, FCC drone import restrictions, and the FAA's Section 2209 rule
Weekly UAS

Drone News: Drone Pilot Faces Charges, Possible Ban on Drone Imports, NPPA Pushes Back on 2209

This week’s Pilot Institute update covers a Colorado drone pilot facing federal charges after grounding wildfire aircraft, a new FCC request for comment that could restrict some military-grade foreign-made drone imports, and the National Press Photographers Association’s warning that the FAA’s Section 2209 rule could create permanent restrictions with no clear way to challenge them.

Cal Fire and FireWERX field-test Seneca autonomous firefighting drones in California
Wildfire

Cal Fire Tests Seneca Drone Packs That Launch Themselves

Cal Fire spent July 15 field-testing Seneca's autonomous firefighting drones with FireWERX in California, giving the nine-month-old startup its clearest public proving-ground yet with a state agency. The five-drone foam strike-team concept now has to prove it can survive real wildfire airspace and turn demos into contracts.

Aerial view of the Aspen Acres Fire burn scar near Rye, Colorado
Wildfire

Colorado Drone Pilot Faces Federal Charges Over Wildfire TFR

A drone pilot in southern Colorado is facing federal charges after allegedly flying inside the temporary flight restriction over the Aspen Acres Fire, forcing firefighting aircraft to stop flying until the airspace was clear.

Lucid Bots Offers Veterans a $75,000 Drone Business
Skydio

Lucid Bots Offers Veterans a $75,000 Drone Business

Lucid Bots wants transitioning veterans flying its cleaning drones, and it’s working through a veteran nonprofit to get them there. On July 7, the Charlotte-based manufacturer announced an official sponsorship of Vets to Drones, a nonprofit that trains former service members to fly commercially. The pitch is a path from military service to small-business ownership…

Overhead black-and-white view of a DJI Phantom quadcopter surrounded by folding DJI Mavic drones and other multirotors arranged on a white surface
Police

San Diego Police Fly Drones to Enforce Fireworks Ban

Several San Diego County cities are putting police drones in the air this Fourth of July weekend to enforce a fireworks ban and catch the people who ignore it. Oceanside, Escondido, and Carlsbad updated their ordinances this year to pair steep fines with drone-and-ground patrols, following California cities like Chino and San Bernardino that tried…

Medicine Hat Lands Canada's Top Student Drone Contest 2027
Canada

Medicine Hat Lands Canada’s Top Student Drone Contest 2027

The Aerial Evolution Association of Canada named Medicine Hat, Alberta as the host city for the 18th annual AEAC Student Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Competition, scheduled for May 14 to 16, 2027. The choice keeps the country’s top university and college drone competition in the same southeast Alberta corridor that hosted the 2025 edition. The 2027…

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