FBI Task Force Grounds Firefighting Drones Over Spokane Wildfires

The Spokane wildfires—which destroyed some 800 buildings and evacuated tens of thousands of residents in early August—triggered a cascade of emergency operations, including the establishment of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) covering five areas near the city from August 2 through August 15, extending from the surface to 7,000 feet MSL. The FBI Counter-UAS Task Force, a recently formed multi-agency unit that had been providing oversight at the Boeing Seafair Air Show in Seattle, was redeployed to the western side of the state after learning of the evacuation threat. When Task Force members arrived on August 1 and began operations the next day, they immediately observed unauthorized drone activity in the restricted airspace.

The scale of the problem escalated quickly: 26 drones detected on August 2 alone within seven hours, then 13 more the following day. The critical moment came when the air boss directing all firefighting air missions decided the drone traffic had become too dangerous and grounded the aircraft. This decision highlighted the core tension that officials emphasized: firefighting aircraft grounded for over an hour could not protect neighborhoods during those critical moments, making the interference not merely an inconvenience but a potential threat to lives. The Task Force's response was methodical but non-lethal—electronic countermeasures and ground intercept teams located pilots and compelled them to land their drones rather than shooting them down, avoiding the risk of falling debris or battery fires. Although no arrests were made, the FAA was notified for possible further investigation, and both criminal statutes and FAA regulations were noted as potential violations.