Quebec sending more water bombers to California after aircraft struck by drone

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 Francois 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 added.

The extra planes will arrive after a drone strike that grounded one of the two Quebec planes that have been assisting in California's wildfire fight this week. 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, known as Quebec 1, was damaged after it was struck by a civilian drone at 1 p.m. Thursday over 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.

Stephane Caron, prevention and communications coordinator at Quebec's forest fire prevention agency, said the drone punctured the wing and remained embedded when the aircraft landed.

"For the moment, this plane cannot fly until the damage is repaired, and probably it will be next week when it can fly again," he said in an interview Friday.

The incident delayed the overall firefighting effort, because all aircraft involved were temporarily grounded as authorities sought to establish whether the drone strike was an accident or a deliberate attack, he said.

The two additional water bombers heading south are the same CL-415 model in Quebec's fleet, aircraft designed for wildfires. The planes, which in Los Angeles are drawing water from the Pacific Ocean, can fill their tanks in about 12 seconds before returning to the fire, Caron said.

"Next week we'll send four other pilots and two technicians," he said, which will bring the province's California contingent to 12 pilots and about six technicians.

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.

The pair of Quebec water bombers had been helping since Tuesday to fight the massive fires that have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures. In addition to the Quebec government planes, helicopters belonging to B.C.-based Coulson Aviation have 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.

On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Canada's support in a message on X. "I spoke with (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom last night. We both know that Canada and the United States are more than just neighbours. We're friends -- especially when times get tough," he said. "California's always had our back when we battle wildfires up north. Now, Canada's got yours."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2025.

With files from The Associated Press.