Flight restrictions ordered over Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado, drone pilot facing charges

Aircraft working on battling the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado were temporarily forced to stop after authorities say a drone violated their airspace on Friday.

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office says they've identified the person responsible for flying an unauthorized drone over the fire area in Rye, who reportedly posted video footage of the flight on social media. They have not released the identity of the suspect.

"The sheriff's office will be working with federal authorities for the filing of federal charges, as flying a UAS in restricted airspace over a wildland fire is a federal offense," the PCSO said. "We remind the public that if you fly a Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), all air operations working on the fire must be grounded."

Officials have repeatedly warned the public not to fly drones over the wildfire, as doing so can disrupt firefighting operations.

"Any unknown aircraft within the restricted airspace halts aerial operations and puts firefighters at risk. It's important for the public to understand that flying a drone near a wildfire is not only dangerous, it is a federal offense. If you fly, we can't," the incident command team said.

The Aspen Acres Fire has grown to approximately 100,224 acres since it began on June 29. It remains the largest wildfire burning in Colorado and the seventh-largest wildfire by acreage in the state's history.