A drone collided with an LAPD helicopter while crews battled a brush fire in Encino, temporarily grounding the aircraft

By Seamus Bozeman
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — A small brush fire broke out in Encino on Tuesday afternoon, spurring a brief evacuation warning for areas surrounding the fire.

The fire started around noon in the vicinity of the Encino Reservoir, near the 4500 block of North Encino Avenue, the L.A. City Fire Department said. It quickly grew from half an acre to five acres.

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The department said the response to the fire included fire crews, heavy equipment and water-dropping aircraft.

The fire briefly threatened homes in the area before firefighters were able to gain the upper hand, the department said.

Around 2 p.m., the department announced that forward progress had been stopped, and by 4 p.m., the evacuation for nearby homeowners had been lifted.

The fire left nearly a thousand Department of Water and Power customers without power in the Encino area, the DWP reported, according to Fox 11.

While crews were battling the blaze, someone was operating a drone in the area, which collided with a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter, officials said.

The collision forced crews to temporarily ground the aircraft to check it for damage.

“It is completely unacceptable and illegal to fly drones like this,” Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference at the scene Tuesday afternoon. She reminded the public that during last year’s firestorm in the Palisades, a firefighting aircraft was grounded because of a drone.

“If we find out who you are, you will be arrested and you will be prosecuted,” Bass said.

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