AUSTIN (KXAN) — A helicopter fighting the 150-acre Barth Fire in Caldwell County nearly collided with a drone that came within feet of the aircraft’s bucket, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported.

According to Randolph Robinson, the incident aviation operations officers for the Texas A&M Forest Service, the drone belonged to one of the groups fighting the fire and was in the air after “a miscommunication.”

Still, the agency said they’ve seen similar situations with personal drones, which they warned are nearly impossible for pilots to spot and could result in a crash at an already chaotic scene.

“They’re a speck, just a tiny little speck until you’re right on top of them,” Robinson, who has himself had close calls with drones, said. “They’re very hard to see from the cockpit and so they can do a lot of damage.”

Even if a drone doesn’t get near aircraft, the forest service says they have to land all air support until they can get a drone out of the air, which costs them much needed time.

“In a situation like a wildfire, where minutes and seconds count, and those aviation resources could be saving homes protecting areas with their with their drops, you know, that’s crucial time that’s being lost,” said Walter Flocke, a public information officer for the forest service.