Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott told CNN that the plane, Quebec 1, “sustained wing damage” and was “remained sunk on the ground, out of service.”
No one was reported injured following the accident.
The collision between the tanker plane and the drone, however, caused the temporary immobilization of all aircraft responding to the Palisades fire.
See also: “There is nothing left”: the testimony of a Quebec woman victim of the forest fires in Los Angeles
FAA investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating.
On the social network in place above forest fires.
“Unauthorized drone flights can delay aerial response to fires and pose a threat to firefighters on the ground, allowing wildfires to grow,” she adds.
The FAA also posted a warning to drone users on X: “Do not fly your drone near or around areas affected by the LA fires. Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations faces heavy fines and criminal prosecution. If you steal, emergency services cannot.”
New reinforcements from Quebec
At the request of the American authorities, Quebec will also send two other tanker planes from the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU), and their crews, to California as of January 15, the Minister of Security confirmed on Friday. public of Quebec, François Bonnardel, via the social network
“In total, Quebec’s aid 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 neighbors to the South,” he said in his message.
-On the federal side, Canadian Civil Protection Minister Harjit Sajjan said Thursday that Canada was ready to deploy 250 firefighters, planes and other resources.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday.
“The Prime Minister indicated that Cabinet ministers were in contact with officials at the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and stood ready to respond to any requests for additional assistance.” we read in a press release released by Mr. Trudeau’s office on Friday.
Representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) of Quebec took stock, late Friday afternoon, of the efforts made by Quebec teams in recent days to fight the forest fires that are raging in the Los Angeles area.
Two tanker planes from Quebec and their crews (a pilot, a co-pilot and a technician), as well as helicopters provided by a British Columbia company, are already in California to help fight against the gigantic forest fires which are ravaging the Los Angeles area. They carried out around fifty fillings (scooping) and drops, indicated the chief pilot at the MTMD Government Air Service, Pascal Duclos.
Although the drought is “still critical” in the region, the intensity of the wind has decreased, which gives firefighters a valuable helping hand to make progress against the fire, explains Mr. Duclos.
“The work is starting to have an effect if we want to. We are on the right track. We just have to hope that Mother Nature is also on our side, sparing us a period of wind like we had at the beginning of the week,” he said during a virtual press briefing.
Smoke affecting visibility and heavy air traffic are also among the factors adding complexity to the teams’ work, he mentioned.
Wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 12,000 homes and other structures, US authorities said.
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