'I've never seen anything like it,' says Quebec pilot helping fight L.A. wildfires
Antoni Nerestant | CBC News | Posted: January 9, 2025 7:27 PM | Last Updated: January 9
Province's aerial service was already on site thanks to 31-year-old deal with California
Pascal Duclos doesn't usually operate water bombers in such densely populated areas.
A quick look down and the 14-year veteran catches a glimpse of destroyed homes, with residents frantically spraying hoses in hopes of salvaging theirs as wildfires wreak havoc in the Los Angeles area.
There are firefighters everywhere and other water bombers navigating the same narrow air space.
"When we get ready to drop water, you see civilians that are trying to run away, and essentially save their own lives," said Duclos, the head pilot of Quebec's aerial service, recounting what he saw while flying a plane on Tuesday.
"I've never seen anything like it."
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Five major fires in the Los Angeles area have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena and triggered evacuation orders affecting 130,000 people. Flames broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, striking closer to the heart of the city and the epicentre of its entertainment industry.
As part of a 31-year-old agreement with the state of California, Quebec has been sending pilots and firefighting teams to Los Angeles. Each fall, two Canadian-made CL-415 firefighting planes are sent to the area.
Sarah Bensadoun, a spokesperson for Quebec's Transport Ministry, said the province's contingent is made up of 25 pilots and 20 technicians. At all times, during a period of three to six months, eight pilots, four technicians and the two planes are ready to go if needed.
'Really extreme turbulence'
As part of the regular rotations, Duclos arrived in California on Christmas Day.
For each plane, there is one lead pilot and a co-pilot as well as a backup crew in case someone gets sick or fatigued.
Given the gravity of the situation, Duclos said teams have to be ready to take off at 7 a.m. and work until the sun sets.
In addition to population density leading to multiple aircraft operating in the same area, Duclos says the aggressive winds have made flying a challenge.
"It makes the fire move extremely quickly. Here, the vegetation is extremely dry. It burns rapidly," said the pilot.
"So it leads to really extreme turbulence."
Coulson Aviation, a company based in Port Alberni, B.C., is also lending a hand to the fight against the wildfires. On Thursday, both Ontario and Alberta announced plans to deploy resources to the Los Angeles area, with the latter stating it would provide water bombers and night vision helicopters.
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