Supervisor Kathryn Barger joined Los Angeles County Fire Chief Darryl Osby, Wednesday, along with pilots, air crew members, and fire personnel to welcome two CL-415 Super Scooper fire-fighting aircraft that the County is leasing from the Government of Quebec.

“The Board of Supervisors is proud to support our Fire Department and help provide critical resources such as the Super Scoopers, to supplement our own aerial firefighting fleet during fire season,” said Barger, who represents the 5th District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley. “For years, L.A. County has partnered with Quebec to provide these Bombardiers which are instrumental in our battle against large-scale wildfires. This is a great collaboration of shared resources between our two regions. I am grateful for the leadership of the L.A. County Fire Department and to the brave men and women who work valiantly each day to save lives and property,” she continued.

With increasingly dangerous fires and record-breaking heat in Southern California, fire safety is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The Los Angeles County Fire Department leads the nation in its ability to manage wildfires and it is necessary to support these efforts with top-of-the-line resources in firefighting aircraft. Los Angeles County has welcomed the Super Scoopers for 27 consecutive years.

With a capacity of up to 1,600 gallons of water, Super Scoopers exceed the capabilities of other aerial fire craft. Flying at high speeds just above the surface of a large body of water, the Super Scoopers are able to fill their tanks within 12 seconds. A full Super Scooper can last for fire operations of up to four hours.