Rogue Drones Halt Retardant Operations at Fairview Fire

Unauthorized drones in the restricted airspace above the Fairview Fire—now exceeding 2,000 acres near Hemet—are forcing aircraft and retardant drops to shut down. These standdowns let the fire spread faster during its most critical window for suppression. CAL FIRE has documented repeated drone incursions as a chronic problem, with potential enforcement actions when violations occur at fires this scale.