Quebec water bomber fighting L.A. wildfires grounded after being hit by drone, province sending 2 additional planes
Posted January 10, 2025 9:20 am.
Last Updated January 10, 2025 6:08 pm.
A Quebec water bomber fighting the wildfires in Los Angeles was grounded after colliding with a drone that was flying in restricted airspace, officials said.
L.A. County Fire Department (LACoFD) said on social media that Quebec’s Super Scooper was hit by a civilian drone that was not assigned to the Palisades fire.
The plane, Quebec 1, “sustained wing damage and remains grounded and out of service,” they wrote.
No injuries were been reported.
The LACoFD released a photo of the plane showing a hole in the front of one of its wings.
The mid-air collision is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, which said the firefighting plane landed safely.
The LACoFD says it is a federal crime to fly a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts.
“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the agency said on its website Thursday. A fine of up to US$75,000 can also be imposed.
Pascal Duclos, head pilot for the Quebec government’s aerial service, wasn’t flying the plane but says the drone could have caused more serious consequences besides the damage and the fact that it’s grounded.
“The most frustration we have is the dangerous action of opening the drone closely the forest fire with an airplane operation there,” he said. “So that could kill the people there.”
“We don’t know yet the time the plane is going to be down, so we do our best to put the plane back in service as soon as possible,” he added.
So far, Quebec planes have dropped nearly 90 water bombs over the various L.A. fires.
SuperScooper grounded after drone strike pic.twitter.com/a7ApxeNHm1
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 10, 2025
Two CL-415 planes are sent to California each year from Quebec, under a 31-year-old agreement between their respective governments. CL-415 firefighting aircraft are used to pick up more than 1,500 gallons of seawater to drop on active fires.
The province has sent a firefighting team of 25 pilots and 20 technicians to Los Angeles.
On Friday, Quebec’s Public Security Minister François Bonnardel wrote on social media that at the request of the American authorities, the province will send two additional air tankers and their crews starting on Jan. 15.
“In total, Quebec’s assistance allows California to count on 4 air tankers. During the terrible wildfire season in 2023, we were able to count on the help of our allies around the world. It is important to do the same with our neighbours to the South,” he wrote on X.
Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said Thursday that Canada was ready to deploy 250 firefighters, aircraft and other resources.
