A Canadair CL-415 aerial firefighting aircraft, known as Quebec 1, collided with a civilian drone while responding to the Palisades fire near Los Angeles yesterday, as reported by the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD). In a post on X, LACoFD stated, “SuperScooper Quebec 1 was struck by a civilian drone that was not assigned to the Palisades fire.”

A photo shared in the post showed significant damage to the airplane’s wing leading edge, including a deep indentation and cut metal. As a result, Quebec 1 was grounded. LACoFD also emphasized that flying a drone during firefighting operations is a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a fine of $75,000.

Two Quebec-owned CL-415 aircraft were deployed to assist with the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, which have claimed 10 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and structures.

The CL-415, a twin-turboprop aircraft, has a water tank capacity of over 1,600 gallons and can refill in just 12 seconds during a water scooping run. De Havilland Aircraft of Canada now holds the type certificate for the CL-415 and continues to provide support and upgrades for the aircraft.