In county news today, county supervisors approved $75,000 in rewards to catch the operators of hobby drones that interfered with three recent firefighting efforts. The board voted yesterday to provide three $25,000 rewards for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of operators of the drones. Firefighting efforts were halted when drones were spotted during the Lake fire near Barton Flats on June 24, the Mill 2 fire near Yucaipa on July 12, and the North fire near Cajon Pass on July 17. San Bernardino County’s bounties are part of a larger campaign to prevent the use of unauthorized drones during emergencies such as wildfires. State lawmakers also have targeted unauthorized drones, introducing bills to penalize anyone who flies unmanned aircraft over a wildfire, with fines up to $25,000 and jail time for up to five years.
