Quebec-based pilots are fighting high winds and heavy turbulence as they battle the massive wildfires tearing through the Los Angeles area, while on the ground Canadians with homes in the area are being forced to flee ahead of fast-moving flames.

Pascal Duclos, head pilot for the Quebec governmentB次元官网网址檚 aerial service, said he spent several hours in the air on Tuesday, dumping dozens of loads of water over fire-devastated areas from his plane.

B次元官网网址淲hat I saw was houses that were in flames, cars that were in flames, people watering their roofs, who were trying to save the building, a lot of people on the ground, firefighters trying to get down a path to get to the source of the fire,B次元官网网址� he said Wednesday in a video interview.

Duclos, who has been travelling to L.A. for 14 years as part of a government contract, says extreme dryness and winds in the region have created fast-moving flames and B次元官网网址渆xtremeB次元官网网址� turbulence that have pushed their planes to the limit. When refilling, the sheer number of aircraft, as well as people on the ground B次元官网网址� some of them civilians fleeing the flames B次元官网网址� combine to create an B次元官网网址渋ntenseB次元官网网址� situation, he said.

The planes in the air include a pair of Canadian-made water bombers belonging to the Quebec government, as well as helicopters belonging to B.C.-based Coulson Aviation, which the company says are B次元官网网址渙n the front lineB次元官网网址� of the fight. Coulson said in a social media post that its crews are B次元官网网址渂raving high winds and challenging conditionsB次元官网网址� in the fight against the largest fire.

Thousands of firefighters were tackling multiple blazes that had killed at least two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures across the Los Angeles area as of Wednesday morning, according to Los Angeles CountyB次元官网网址檚 fire chief.

Canadians including Our Lady Peace singer Raine Maida and his family were among the more than 70,000 people forced to flee their homes. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e evacuated currently and our canyon is on fire,B次元官网网址� Maida told The Canadian Press.

Actor Eugene Levy, another prominent Canadian in L.A., told the Los Angeles Times that he faced gridlocked traffic as he attempted to vacate the area amid B次元官网网址渂lack and intenseB次元官网网址� smoke.

Dayn Nanda, a Toronto-born talent booker living in West Hollywood, described the view from his apartment as B次元官网网址渁pocalyptic.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淓ven just looking out of my window, the sky is full of black clouds and thereB次元官网网址檚 a noticeable difference in air quality,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he winds are crazy. Things are falling over and breaking on my balcony.B次元官网网址�

Nanda said he moved to the city three years ago and knew wildfires were something to expect, but didnB次元官网网址檛 imagine heB次元官网网址檇 ever experience anything of this magnitude. While he wasnB次元官网网址檛 personally affected by the blaze, he said several colleagues have lost homes.

The 30-year-old said he posted on social media to offer his spare bedroom to anyone displaced by the fire.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all going to come together and try to help each other in any way that we can. None of the glitz and glamour of L.A. matters at the end of the day,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about your family. This really brings to light the things that matter, because all the material stuff you can lose in an instant. Life can change in a blink of an eye.B次元官网网址�

Coulson, which is based in Port Alberni, B.C., but also operates in the United States and Australia, said aircraft involved in fighting the fire include its double-rotor Chinook fleet and a smaller Sikorsky S-76 helicopter. The companyB次元官网网址檚 social media post included a screen shot showing the flight paths of three of its water-bombing helicopters swirling repeatedly over the neighbourhood.

A spokesperson for QuebecB次元官网网址檚 Transport Department said the provinceB次元官网网址檚 current California contingent includes the two planes as well as eight pilots and four technicians.

The Canadian-made CL-415 planes and their pilots and maintenance crews are sent to California every fall as part of an annual contract in place since 1994. The contract normally begins in September and lasts for between 90 and 180 days, with crews rotating in and out to ensure staffing.

Quebec Public Security Minister Fran莽ois Bonnardel posted a message of support on X to California Gov. Gavin B次元官网网址om, saying the province is ready to send additional firefighters to the state if they are needed.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which is operated by fire management agencies across Canada, said it has no resources deployed to the California firefighting effort, and there were no B次元官网网址渁nticipated requests.B次元官网网址�

The disaster prompted the NHL to postpone a Los Angeles Kings home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. The Kings saluted the hard-working first responders who are trying to contain the fires and protect the community.

B次元官网网址淲e appreciate the leagueB次元官网网址檚 support in keeping our fans, staff, and players safe,B次元官网网址� the team said in a statement.