(NewsNation) — Federal law enforcement officials revealed a man has been charged regarding a drone incident relating to the Pacific Palisades fire.
The Los Angeles-area man has been criminally charged after his drone hit a firefighting super scooper. Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, will plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft.
The collision put the super scooper out of action for five days. As part of his plea, Akemann will pay restitution to the government of Quebec which supplied the plane, in addition to an aircraft repair company that repaired it.
Akemann will also complete 150 hours of community service that will contribute to the wildlife relief effort in Southern California.
“This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in a Department of Justice release.
“This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders,” he added.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades fire is 98% contained after beginning on Jan. 7.
Residents have been allowed to return to their homes, many fire-ravaged, to assess the damage and collect what, if anything, is salvageable.
An affluent neighborhood in Los Angeles, the Pacific Palisades was largely destroyed, with the fire burning more than 23,000 acres.