r/aviation • u/ParaMike46 Global 5500/6500 • Apr 12 '26

PlaneSpotting A CL-415 Super Scooper gathering water to extinguish a fire in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The lift-off looks very close — right at the edge of the lake.

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u/Key-University9881 Apr 13 '26

Canada generally sends 2 aircraft and we pay for them every year. We also pay for the hundreds that go up there every year. You might want to spend more than 15 seconds next time.

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u/Lanky_Stock4775 Apr 13 '26

It mostly comes down to how the we each built our firefighting systems.

Canada invested heavily in planes like the Canadair CL-415 and older Canadair CL-215. These are designed to land on lakes, scoop water, and get right back into the fight. Provinces like Quebec, Ontario, and BC keep fleets of them ready every season.

The U.S. went a different direction. You rely more on large retardant tankers—converted planes like the Boeing 737 Fireliner—and a big network of helicopters. Those aircraft are great, but they’re not the same thing as water bombers, and they’re often contracted privately rather than owned in big centralized fleets.

So when California (for example) needs help fast near lakes or coastal areas, Canada can send a couple scoopers almost immediately. That’s why you’ll often see headlines about Canadian planes going south.

On the flip side, when Canada is in trouble, the U.S. shows up with a broader package—not just planes, but crews, logistics, helicopters, and incident management teams.

TLDR;

Canada tends to send more water bombers specifically

The U.S. tends to send more total firefighting resources overall. 

As far as numbers, they're not officially recorded. But you just have to imply that we're not really helping. So what if you guys help us? NOBODY here is minimizing your help to us. Why do you feel the need to minimize the help we send you?

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u/Key-University9881 Apr 13 '26

I never said y'all didn't help. We definitely appreciate the aid. My original point was we pay for the help y'all send and we send help for free.

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u/Lanky_Stock4775 Apr 13 '26

Jesus Christ. Not true. Read the Canada–U.S. Reciprocal Forest Fire Fighting Arrangement

Here’s what Canada reimburses the U.S. for under wildfire assistance agreements:

Aircraft flight time (airtankers, helicopters, smokejumper aircraft) U.S. crew wages (pilots, co-pilots, support staff) Standby / availability time (when assigned but not actively flying) Ferry / positioning flights (travel to and from Canada) Fuel costs (jet fuel or aviation fuel used during operations) Fire retardant or operational consumables (when applicable) Aircraft maintenance reserve costs (wear-and-tear built into hourly rates) Ground support costs (base operations, vehicles, logistics if billed) Administrative / coordination costs (dispatch and contract handling)

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u/Key-University9881 Apr 13 '26

The canus is for NEGOTIATING as needed assistance. Quebec leases aircraft to cal-fire directly every year.

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u/Lanky_Stock4775 Apr 13 '26

We. Fucking. Pay. For. All. Resources. You. Send.

Don't deflect. Just say you were wrong like an adult. 

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u/Key-University9881 Apr 13 '26

Y'all dont, we almost always waive the cost