The defendant has agreed to pay more than $65,000 in restitution and faces up to a year in federal prison, prosecutors said.

A Southern California man admitted to operating a drone that collided with a firefighting airplane during the Palisades Fire as the blaze was charring tens of thousands of acres earlier this month, officials said Friday.

Reduced visibility from thick smoke, coupled with turbulence created by the fire's heat, can create perilous flying conditions.