On Friday, September 6, 2019, Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby and Québec delegate Philippe P. Huneault hosted a media day at the Van Nuys Airport to highlight the arrival of two Bombardier CL-415 SuperScoopers.
“With increasing dangerous fires and record breaking heat in Southern California, fire safety is first and foremost on our minds. It is vital that we provide all the opportunities necessary both on the ground and in the air – the Board of Supervisors is proud of the Fire Department and we are proud to give them the support with additional resources annually to supplement their own aerial firefighting fleet,” Said Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
For 26 years, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has leased the pair of CL-415s from the Government of Québec for a period of 90 days with the option to extend it as needed. The SuperScoopers arrive during the height of wildfire season to support the Air and Wildland Division and help augment the Department’s aerial fleet.
Known as “Quebec 1” and “Quebec 2”, the SuperScoopers always fly in tandem and can reach a flight speed of over 160 knots fully loaded. The SuperScoopers have the capacity to drop more than 1,600 gallons of water, making them effective firefighting resources in large-scale incidents. Last year, they were were dispatched to over 74 fire responses.
