A firefighting plane attempting to respond last year to the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles had to be pulled out of operation for days after it collided with a drone that damaged the plane’s wing.

In June in Jackson County, an aircraft responding to the Applegate Fire had to be grounded because of a drone’s interference.

In September 2002, a drone in Oregon caused the Oregon Department of Forestry to suspend use of a helicopter responding to a fire.

And there have been more examples.

At least two bills in the Oregon Legislature, House Bill 3426 and Senate Bill 1125, aim to stiffen state penalties for drones interfering with wildfire fighting operations. Federal law already prohibits interfering with wildfire suppression or emergency response by drones. Oregon law also contains a Class A felony for knowingly or recklessly causing death or injury with another aircraft. The two bills are similar and expand state law. For instance, S.B. 1125 would raise all offenses of interference with wildfire fighting with a drone to the felony level.

Laws don’t prevent people from doing bad things. Laws and penalties can discourage people from doing bad things.

The most important component of what happens with either bill will be creating more public awareness of the dangers of drone interference and the penalties.

Don’t be that drone operator to be the first charged under any new Oregon law.