UNBELIEVABLE

Drone Collision Takes Out Canadian Super Scooper Plane Fighting LA Fires

The midair incident damaged the water-dropping aircraft as it responded to the Palisades Fire.

A firefighting plane responding to the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles has been grounded after it collided with a civilian drone on Thursday, authorities said. The Canadian CL-415 Super Scooper—a turboprop plane that can dip into the ocean and collect over 1,500 gallons of water at a time—landed safely, but its wing was damaged and the aircraft “remains grounded and out of service,” Los Angeles Fire Department Spokesperson Erik Scott wrote in a post on X. “We would like to remind everyone that flying a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts is a federal crime and punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $75,000,” he added. Two Super Scoopers sent from Canada had been making dozens of flights per day, with multiple drops per flight. As of Friday, five blazes burning out of control in the Los Angeles area have killed 10 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other buildings, the AP reported.