Resource loanJanuary 10, 2025

Quebec to send two additional tanker planes to California

Resource loan

SOPFEU, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, is increasing its assistance to the State of California, which is struggling with several devastating fires in the Los Angeles region. Thus, two additional air tankers (CL-415) and their crews, namely two pilots, two co-pilots and technicians, will be deployed there. The departure is scheduled for January 15, but it is dependent on weather conditions.

It should be noted that Quebec is assisting California as a stakeholder in the Arrangement in the form of an exchange of notes between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America on the provision of mutual assistance in the fight against forest fires. Thus, the Government of Quebec supports its American partners by making resources available through SOPFEU, which fully supports these cooperative efforts.

These two aircraft are in addition to the two air tankers already on site since the end of last August under a contractual agreement that has linked the County of Los Angeles and the Government of Quebec for over 30 years. This agreement, under the responsibility of the Direction générale du Service aérienne gouvernemental of the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, demonstrates the strong collaboration that has united Quebec and California for many years in protecting communities, infrastructure and forests against wildfires.

SOPFEU specifies that in collaboration with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), it could join forces with other Canadian forest fire protection agencies to provide a contingent of forest firefighters to California if the United States so requests.