Montana’s Bold Move Against Wildfire Drone Disruptions

Personal drone enthusiasts who’ve considered capturing wildfires from above should think twice, especially in Montana. This week, Governor Greg Gianforte signed SB 219 into law, joining several other states in criminalizing drone operations that obstruct aerial Wildfire suppression.

The freshly inked Montana law asserts that “a person may not obstruct, impede, prevent or otherwise interfere with lawful aerial wildfire suppression response activities by any means, including by the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle system.”

This move follows a troubling rise in drone incursions interrupting firefighting efforts. The National Interagency Fire Center reported 15 such instances in 2022 alone, resulting in 13 shutdowns of aerial firefighting.

Besides Montana other states, such as California, Idaho, and Pennsylvania have dealt with drone incursions disrupting firefighting efforts.

The Montana legislation came about in response to a significant disruption…