After that drone strike on a firefighting airplane DJI decides to remove geo-fencing for no fly-zones

Mere days after a DJI drone struck a fightfighting aircraft in the skies over Los Angeles, removing the aircraft from service, DJI announced it is removing the feature intended to prevent such incidents.

In a blog post, DJI explains the update means pilots will see DJI geofencing datasets replaced by official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data. The Chinese company characterizes this as "placing control back in the hands of the drone operators."

Areas that were previously defined as Restricted Zones, commonly known as No-Fly Zones, will instead be displayed as Enhanced Warning Zones that align with the FAA's designated areas. An in-app alert will notify the pilot that they are flying near designated controlled airspace which can be dismissed by the user.

PetaPixel

At the same time, the FBI is pretty clear these drones are a concern:

The water-dropping Super Scooper is one of the most effective tools for combating wildfires, according to Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. "When incidents like this happen, it puts everybody's lives at risk," Davis emphasized during a press conference, according to ABC 7.

Flying drones near wildfires is not just reckless — it's illegal. Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to secure airspace for emergency operations. However, unauthorized drones have become a significant obstacle for firefighters and law enforcement.

"Our biggest concern is that there are so many unauthorized drones in the area that they are impacting law enforcement and firefighters' efforts to suppress this fire and actually get it contained," Davis explained. Despite clear restrictions, drone videos capturing fire damage and destruction continue to surface on social media, raising public safety concerns.

DroneDJ

This seems like a weird decision on DJI's part. People are stupid and will fly those drones in lots of places the rest of the public won't appreciate.

Previously:
Disney's amazing new drone show
Drones drop from sky during Florida holiday show, sending 7-year-old boy to hospital
Own a drone? Law enforcement will soon be allowed to shoot it down