August 1, 2025 9:20 a.m. 

Roseburg Police cited a man for interfering with a firefighter on Thursday night.

An RPD report said just before 8:30 p.m. the Douglas Forest Protective Association was trying to contain a fire on Mt. Nebo and was unable to have an aircraft drop water on the fire due to a drone flying over the fire zone. It was brought to the attention of an officer that a man was posting video of the fire via Facebook. With the help of other officers, the 41-year-old’s address was determined to be in the 1400 block of Southeast Main Street.

Officers responded to the home and contacted the resident. He reportedly admitted to flying the drone just east of the South Umpqua River to film the fire. A posted video from the suspect allegedly showed his drone hovering over the top of a helicopter inside the fire zone. As a result of his action, the DFPA was unable to use any aircraft to assist with trying to extinguish the fire, due to safety concerns.

The man was released after the citation was issued.