Drones are used more and more for everyday life, from taking amateur video from the skies to commercial use for movies or real estate. However, emergency crews in Estero are warning to keep them away from emergency scenes after finding out an amateur drone pilot flew above a 200-acre fire near Corkscrew Road on May 24.  

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“There is something inherently beautiful about fire that people seem to like to watch from a distance,” said Susan Lindenmuth, with Estero Fire Rescue.  

Lindenmuth explained aviation units are not able to fly into an area where a drone is being used due to safety concerns. 

“If they know and they find out or they see that there is a drone in the air while they are flying, they will immediately leave the area,” she said. “So then that means we have lost that resource to either scout ahead for us to be the eyes in the sky.”

Drone experts say your drone could mean life or death for crews watching the fire and helping dump water from the air. It also could mean big trouble for the pilot. 

“It is against the law to fly a drone in and over, particularly in fire fighting, forest fire fighting that is Florida statute 590.25 — a third-degree felony,” she said. 

“You get up in the air and you see things from a different perspective,” said Michael den Hartog with Florida Drone Supply. 

There are apps like the FAA-recommended B4UFly app that tell you if you’re flying in a safe space or near an airport. But it’s not only what could be in the air that drone pilots must watch out for. Pilots cannot fly over 400 feet generally and must not fly over people, crowds, or moving cars. They must be able to always see the drone.   

“People think they’re just toys,” said den Hartog. “You’re doing this in the federal airspace.”

While you can still have lots of fun taking great shots from the sky, experts compare it to the road. Drones need to be registered, pilots need a license, even with the FAA’s Trust Certification for fun flights, and you need to give right of way to planes, helicopters and law enforcement. 

“The airspace is kind of like the highway, it’s like taking a tricycle or bicycle on the freeway,” said den Hartog.