A long line of fire and billowing smoke are seen through the helicopterB次元官网网址檚 windshield as it swoops towards one of the several fires burning in the Los Angeles area.

B次元官网网址淭hree, two, one, waterB次元官网网址檚 away,B次元官网网址� one of the pilots says as a payload of water gushes out of the helicopter and onto the flames. B次元官网网址淟ooks good,B次元官网网址� another voice is heard saying.

British Columbia-based Coulson Aviation released the video of its crew B次元官网网址渄elivering a precision water drop on the Palisades Fire in California.B次元官网网址�

CoulsonB次元官网网址檚 helicopters as well as waterbombing planes provided by Quebec have played a high-profile role in the battle against the fires that have claimed at least 25 lives and destroyed thousands of homes.

QuebecB次元官网网址檚 contribution is expanding with two more water bombers heading to California on Wednesday.

The B次元官网网址渁erial firefightB次元官网网址� has been essential as blistering winds have prevented groundcrews from accessing the flames, said Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation.

When gusts get up to 140 kilometres per hour, like they did in the region last week, B次元官网网址渢here is no hope in stopping that fire. Everyone just had to evacuate,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭hat created the chaos, and this firefight has been a little bit different than weB次元官网网址檝e seen in the past,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview on Wednesday. B次元官网网址淚t really became an aerial firefight. The only way to tame this fire, to get (firefighters) on the ground in there, was to use the large assets and the helicopters.B次元官网网址�

Coulson Aviation B次元官网网址� based in Port Alberni, B.C. B次元官网网址� operates three Boeing CH-47 Chinook helitankers with tanks that hold more than 11,000 litres, as well as an B次元官网网址渙ver-watch helicopter that runs intelligence,B次元官网网址� including thermal imaging when deployed at night.

They are contracted with local power utility Southern California Edison.

Coulson said the company has dropped more than a million gallons B次元官网网址� or 4.5 million litres B次元官网网址� of water over the fires in the last week, 70 per cent of which was released at night.

QuebecB次元官网网址檚 two extra CL-415 aircraft bring the provinceB次元官网网址檚 total California aid package to four water bombers, 12 pilots and six technicians.

Pascal Duclos, head pilot of the Quebec team dispatched to California, called the wildfire situation in the state a B次元官网网址渢ragedy,B次元官网网址� with so much loss.

B次元官网网址淭he infrastructure, the schools, everything has to be rebuilt. ItB次元官网网址檚 incredible,B次元官网网址� Duclos said during a news conference from the L.A. area on Wednesday, describing how he has seen the devastation grow with each passing day.

Duclos said dry conditions and strong winds risk sparking new fires, and he confirmed that one of the Quebec planes that was grounded last week after a collision with a drone is back in operation.

Coulson said winds had lessened by Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淩ight now, I donB次元官网网址檛 believe any structures are being threatened, so theyB次元官网网址檙e just mopping up the other two big fires,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗opefully we get through the next couple days and it stays relatively quiet, but thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of air assets ready to go, so everybodyB次元官网网址檚 on high alert.B次元官网网址�

He noted morale among staff has remained high throughout the fire fight.

B次元官网网址淭he adrenalin starts flowing, and everybody wants to help,B次元官网网址� he said of his pilots. B次元官网网址淲e had an extremely aggressive air force supporting these fires because everybody knew the devastation that was happening on the ground.B次元官网网址�

He said there is much to learn from the fire fight in California.

Local authorities have told him that without aviation resources B次元官网网址� most of which were only deployable at night B次元官网网址� the fires B次元官网网址渃ould have been double in size, easily,B次元官网网址� Coulson said.

B次元官网网址淗aving that air force at night is absolutely critical. ItB次元官网网址檚 something that Canada is going to have to work toward, whether it be with the agencies or with government and supplying heavy assets that can go out and tackle these wildfires at night.B次元官网网址�

Support from other states as well as international partners, including from Canada, have been essential, he said.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 wonderful is to have that kind of support because fire knows no boundaries, and so for us that operate in the United States, Canada, Australia, Chile B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 the same story, just different faces, so itB次元官网网址檚 great to have that support internationally.B次元官网网址�

Luc Dugas, an engineer with QuebecB次元官网网址檚 forest fire prevention agency, said the province stands ready to deploy more firefighters if requested by California officials, noting how the state helped in Quebec during its record wildfire season in 2023.

B次元官网网址淎ll the countries that have experienced forest fires have no choice but to find other ways of helping each other,B次元官网网址� he said.

He noted that firefighters from B.C. and Alberta were deployed because of their proximity to the state.

B次元官网网址淎t this moment, we are able to make about 60 firefighters available. Our firefighters are ready to go to California,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭here is no request on the table right now.B次元官网网址�