"If You Fly, We Can’t": The Life-and-Death Stakes of Drones in NC Forests

North Carolina -- April 24, 2026: As North Carolina grapples with a high-risk spring wildfire season and a statewide burn ban, a silent threat is emerging in the skies over Western North Carolina: recreational drones. While they might seem like harmless toys to hobbyists, these "eyes in the sky" are grounding the very aircraft sent to save our communities.The Grounding Truth"We need to be able to drop water. We need to be able to scout out the land and the fuels around these fires," says Phillip