Although I agree it is media hype brought on by the various gov't agencies creating some shock value, you underestimate the damage it could do to a general aviation aircraft. Unless you are a pilot, current or past aircraft crew member, then you cannot realistically understand the potential danger, or not (same applies to the media regarding sUAV's).
As a pilot and owner/builder of a Lancair (small high performance aircraft), a prop strike, wind screen strike, wing leading edge strike, vertical or horizontal leading edge strike, could well be enough to have damage that would require immediate landing action. Off-field landings are typically very deadly. A prop strike of any sort, small bird excepted, can throw the prop out of balance enough to cause very severe engine vibration/shake. Enough that the engine has to be immediately shut down. Otherwise, the out of balance condition can be enough to actually separate the engine from the aircraft. This is not an exaggeration. The issue is real. An aircraft striking an object in-flight, even something that is plastic and weighs only 2 pounds at 150 MPH can be a very significant event (my aircraft cruises at over 200 MPH).
With that being said, there likely will not be any small aircraft in a wild fire area because of TFR's in place. The exception being twin engine used as spotters for the fire retardant aircraft and water dropping helicopters. But a twin engine spotter aircraft that loses an engine, is a dangerous plane to fly and land, (one operable engine on one wing being a real hand-full for the pilot) as would be a helicopter of any size that has a prop strike. A prop strike is one of the most feared events a pilot thinks about.
It is likely a twin engine spotter will not be flying at low enough altitudes to be in conflict with sUAV's, but a helicopter could be that low. In addition, a big majority of fire retardant planes are twin engine aircraft, that with a full load of retardant, if loosing one engine, could also be a very real emergency. I see them daily flying out of my local airport here in southern Oregon, and believe me, there rate of climb is very low. In some cases they will have to circle the valley here to gain enough altitude to be able to clear the Siskiyou Mountains to the south into California.
As far as jet engine fire fighting aircraft, they make their dump runs at a much higher altitude than the prop engine aircraft, so conflict with sUAV's is not likely.
With TFR's in place, no flying without prior permission speaks for itself. Violate it, and suffer the consequences if caught.
