These might be the most surreal images you’ll see today.
A video posted to YouTube by professional drone pilot and photographer Douglas Thron shows a United States Postal Service mail truck making deliveries in Santa Rosa’s fire-ravaged Coffey Park neighborhood.
Update 8:25 p.m.: The USPS San Francisco District Manager Noemi Luna has issued a statement to clarify that the mail carrier in the footage was honoring a request by customers who would be returning for personal items. The full statement is included at the end of this article.
Thron says while he was at the scene shooting aerial footage for NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday, he spotted the truck driving around the neighborhood.
“It was a trippy thing — he was actually delivering the mail,” he said.
“I was shocked to see him because most of the roads were blocked-off, but he obviously had access.”
The video shows an ever-familiar USPS mail truck driving past burned vehicles. The mail carrier can be seen placing deliveries in mailboxes amid ash and rubble where homes once stood.
Thron says he does work for Discovery Channel, Good Morning America and Today Show and after witnessing the damage caused by the firestorm he remarked, “I’ve covered wildfires and floods before and I’ve never seen anything like it. I’d see areas that were totally fine, but then get to Fountaingrove Inn and The Hilton and see them wiped-out. It was unbelievable.”
His video of the destroyed Fountaingrove Inn and Hilton can be seen in this video.
Response from USPS
San Francisco District Manager Noemi Luna has provided the following statement to clarify why the mail carrier delivered the route:
“This is an example of the long standing relationship that has been established between our carriers and their customers based on trust. The carrier in question was honoring a request by a few customers who were being let back in the fire zone to retrieve personal items. A few customers asked the carrier to leave their mail if the mailbox was still standing because they could not get to the annex to retrieve it.”
Before you take flight
The Federal Aviation Administration offers a list of guidelines for drone operators:
- Fly at or below 400 feet
- Keep your UAS within sight
- Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
- Never fly over groups of people
- Never fly over stadiums or sports events
- Never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires
- Never fly under the influence
- Be aware of airspace requirements
(Courtesy of Federal Aviation Administration)
