Drone halted near Maui fire source, pilot meets officials.
A Licensed Drone Operator’s Encounter with Government Officials After Filming Maui Wildfire
A licensed drone operator who was capturing footage of the suspected origin of the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, recently shared his strange experience with federal agents. The wildfires tragically claimed the lives of at least 115 people.
According to Fox News host Will Cain, the drone operator, Davin Phelps, was grounded and visited by law enforcement officers after attempting to film the area where the fires started. Cain took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share Phelps’ story.
In a follow-up post, Cain revealed that Phelps had provided him with a video and still images of the fire-ravaged community of Lahaina. The footage showed buildings reduced to ashes, painting a haunting picture of the destruction.
I don’t want to feed ridiculous conspiracies but all I can do is tell you the truth. I just spoke to a videographer from Lahaina. Davin Phelps. He’s a licensed drone pilot. He’s been flying over Lahaina for the past week. And he has stunning and haunting images of Lahaina. pic.twitter.com/zPNa6JEVt0
— Will Cain (@willcain) August 22, 2023
Phelps claimed that he was hired by an attorney to film the suspected fire origin area, despite the existence of a no-fly zone over Lahaina. While he managed to capture images of Lahaina Town, he faced difficulties when attempting to film the fires’ origin.
Davin says he was hired by an attorney to fly his drone over the suspected area where the fire started. There is a no fly zone over Lahaina. But as you can see from the footage that hasn’t stopped him from getting images of Lahaina Town. But it was a different experience at the… pic.twitter.com/cKJMjNVaSY
— Will Cain (@willcain) August 22, 2023
Phelps claimed that his drone was remotely grounded when he reached the suspected fire origin area. Shortly after, two unidentified government officials approached him, requested his license, and forced him to leave the Lahaina Intermediate School parking lot where he had planned to launch his drone.
Will Cain questioned the secrecy surrounding the area and the lack of clarity regarding the fire’s origins and cause. He wondered if liability and accountability were the reasons behind the government’s actions.
Apparently licensed drone pilots fly through an app coordinated with the FAA. That app can deny you permission to fly and remotely ground your drone. It’s very rare. But when Phelps got to the suspected fire origin area he was denied flight and grounded.
Then he says two…
— Will Cain (@willcain) August 22, 2023
While ABC News reported that downed power lines may have sparked the fires, there are still no definitive answers. Speculation about the blazes and their origin continues, leaving many questions unanswered. The recovery efforts are ongoing, with hundreds of people still missing.
For more information, you can read the full article on The Western Journal.
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