The Interior Department stopped buying drones a year ago, for concern that China will spy through them. Now the US does not have enough drones for fighting wildfires.

There is danger that China will spy through Chinese-made drones, just as there is danger that companies and other government will spy through drones made elsewhere. But I don't think China will learn many important secrets from looking at wildfires.

The first step to making sure that a drone can't be used to spy (by some party other than its owner) is to make sure that the software in it is free, and is being checked by people for quality and honesty.