Quebec said Friday it will send two more firefighting aircraft to California, a day after one of the province’s water bombers collided with a drone while battling the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area.
“At the request of U.S. authorities, we will be sending two additional water bombers … and their crews as early as Jan. 15," Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said on the X platform. "In total, Quebec will provide California with four water bombers."
“During the terrible wildfire season of 2023, we were able to count on the help of our allies around the world. It's important to do the same for our neighbours to the south,” Bonnardel said.
The extra bombers will arrive following an incident that grounded one of the two planes from Quebec that had been assisting in California's wildfire fight. The two Canadian-made CL-415 planes — and their crews — are sent to California every fall as part of an annual contract that has been in place for more than 30 years.
The L.A. County Fire Department said one CL-415 plane, known as Quebec 1, was damaged after it was struck by a civilian drone at 1 p.m. Thursday in the city’s Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where dozens of blocks have been flattened to smouldering rubble, with only the outlines of homes and their chimneys left.
“Quebec 1 sustained wing damage and remains grounded and out of service. There were no reported injuries,” the fire department said on X.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it has launched an investigation into the collision. “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.
The pair of Quebec water bombers had been helping since Tuesday to fight the massive fires north of downtown L.A., which have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures. In addition to the two CL-415 planes belonging to the Quebec government, helicopters belonging to B.C.-based Coulson Aviation have also been deployed in the fight.
Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said Thursday that Canada was ready to deploy 250 firefighters, aircraft and other resources.
