Drones have intruded on wildfires 82 times this year, already the most in at least five years
The National Interagency Fire Center counts 82 drone incursions over wildfires in 2026 as of October 5, up from 53 in all of 2025. Washington accounts for 46 of them.
By Joel Kelly
Decision brief
If there is smoke, there is no drone flight. Firefighting aircraft are grounded the moment a drone is spotted, and the FAA usually puts a flight restriction over large fires. Check the TFR list before flying anywhere near a burn area, and remember that interfering with firefighting is a federal crime even where no restriction is posted.
- 2026 incursions
- 82
- 2025 total
- 53
- Washington
- 46
NIFC count as of October 5, 2026
The previous high on NIFC's five-year chart
More than half of this year's incursions
The count
A record year, and it isn't over.
The National Interagency Fire Center's drone incursion count, updated October 5, shows 82 incursions reported in 2026. That is already higher than every full year on its chart: 53 in 2025, 32 in 2024, 20 in 2023, 15 in 2022, and 23 in 2021. NIFC notes the numbers change as new incidents are reported.
Washington leads with 46 incursions, more than half the national total. California follows with 15, then Colorado with 7, Utah with 5, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico with 2 each, and Florida, Minnesota, and Nebraska with 1 each.
The rules
If you fly, they can't.
NIFC says firefighting aircraft must be grounded when a drone is spotted, which delays the response and puts lives at risk. The FAA says it often sets temporary flight restrictions around wildfires and that drones are banned inside them. It adds that interfering with firefighting on public lands is a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison, whether or not a restriction is in place, and that Congress has given the FAA power to fine drone pilots who interfere with wildfire suppression.
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