Quebec plane damaged by drone while fighting L.A. fires to fly again Tuesday

A Quebec water bomber that was grounded after colliding with a drone while fighting wildfires in California is expected to be back up in the air today.

Quebec Transport Ministry spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun said the aircraft that was grounded last week is operational again.

"The repairs are completed and the flying tests are conclusive," Bensadoun said in a text message Tuesday morning.

Firefighters in Los Angeles County said the two Quebec water bombers currently assigned to the area are vital because they are the only aircraft that can use ocean water to douse the flames.

Quebec is sending two more planes further up the coast to the wine region of Santa Maria. Bensadoun said they are set to leave the province on Wednesday, but could be delayed if it's too cold or if there is frost.

It will then take them two days to fly to California, meaning they may only be in service as of Friday, Bensadoun said.

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The L.A. county sheriff said two arrests were made overnight in connection with a drone incident but they do not appear connected to the drone that hit the Quebec plane last Thursday.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) said it was working with the FBI to identify the suspects in the incident involving the Quebec water bomber. 

"The FAA is working closely with law enforcement, including the FBI, to identify the drone operator," the FAA said. "It's a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands."

WATCH | What we know so far about how a drone grounded a Quebec water bomber in L.A.: 

How a single drone grounded a fleet of L.A. wildfire-battling aircraft

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A drone operator could be facing a fine and jail time after a drone collided with a water bomber from Quebec during operations to battle wildfires devastating parts of the Los Angeles area.