While the plane and its pilot were able to land safely after the collision, the damaged Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper was one less available resource in the fight against the wildfires. The plane was capable of dropping around 1,600 gallons of water in a single go, making about 6 such drops in an hour.

Drones and other aircraft not helping with firefighting efforts are prohibited in temporary flight restriction zones around wildfires.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating after fire officials reported that a firefighting aircraft struck a drone while operating over the Palisades Fire in California.