Monday, February 10, 2025

Sheriff’s Department Deploys Drones To Patrol Eaton Fire Burn Areas

[Photo:LASD]

Enhanced aerial surveillance system launches in fire-affected zones

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station, along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement Bureau, is deploying drones in County areas affected by the Eaton Fire, according to official Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department communications.

The Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau authorizes all unmanned aircraft system (UAS) deployments for the Department. These drones are restricted to emergency missions including fire response, search/rescue, and barricaded suspects.

Operating under Federal Aviation Administration visual line-of-sight requirements, the drones fly below 400 feet altitude and are equipped with non-recording cameras by default, with no payload capacity beyond sensors.

The current deployment allows deputies to cover larger areas in Altadena during ongoing emergency operations.

During the Eaton Fire response, drones have been deployed alongside helicopter patrols and a dedicated Looter Suppression Team in evacuated areas. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records show the systems also assisted in evacuating vulnerable residents from Kinneloa Mesa and other high-risk zones.

The program maintains unarmed drones in accordance with 2017 oversight commission agreements.

Following department transparency protocols, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department publishes UAS deployment reports through official transparency portals.

These operational details remain under public scrutiny as the Sheriff’s Department finalizes its drone usage guidelines, with critical questions unanswered regarding warrant requirements for non-emergency footage use and standardized data retention protocols.