Demand for water bombers has 'skyrocketed' as Canada grapples with more intense wildfires

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 5

As Canada is again dealing with monolithic wildfires, the expanding severity of the earthy disasters is having the knock-on effect of spiking the request for h2o bomber planes — and it volition beryllium years earlier Canada gets its hands connected a caller one.

Premiers gathered successful Saskatchewan this week, 1 of the provinces presently gripped by wildfires. They were chiefly gathering to sermon large infrastructure projects, but a fig of premiers talked to reporters astir dealing with the wildfire situation.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, whose state has besides seen thousands fly wildfires successful caller weeks, mentioned that his authorities is waiting for an bid of h2o bombers — but helium doesn't expect them to beryllium delivered immoderate clip soon.

• Poor net connection? CBC Lite is our low-bandwidth website. 

"We could usage each h2o bomber we tin get our hands on. We're going to request much h2o bombers successful the future," Kinew told reporters connected Monday successful Saskatoon.

The Manitoba government enactment an $80-million down outgo connected 3 caller h2o bombers earlier this year. But they'll lone beryllium acceptable by the 2031 and 2032 occurrence seasons.

WATCH | Manitoba successful request of h2o bombers, Kinew says: 

"We're successful this situation of having to respond during an exigency concern by pulling pieces that we person astatine our disposal," Kinew said.

A bully chunk of Canada's h2o bomber fleet is made up of amphibious scoopers called the CL-415 and an older CL-215 model.

The 'backbone' for warring wildfires

John Gradek, an aviation absorption lecturer astatine McGill University, calls the CL-415 the "backbone" of Canada's firefighting fleet.

But the CL-415 hasn't been manufactured successful a decade. Bombardier sold the rights to the exemplary successful 2016. De Havilland Canada, the caller manufacturer, began gathering a mill adjacent Calgary successful 2022 to nutrient a newer model.

The institution told CBC News that accumulation astatine that works has begun but it has respective orders successful line, including from planetary buyers.

"To date, we person had 22 orders from EU subordinate states and are successful discussions with a fig of Canadian and European customers to turn their fleets. We are present successful accumulation and are ramping up to conscionable existent and aboriginal demand," the institution said successful an emailed statement.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his state is besides successful enactment for caller planes.

"Ontario has astir 11 bombers. We ordered different six much h2o bombers … the occupation is close present they're backlogged," helium said connected Sunday.

"They nutrient them successful Alberta, God bless them. But it's taking 4 years to nutrient much h2o bombers."

It appears arsenic though the Europeans bushed Canada to the punch. Orders from Europe were successful spot arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2022. Canadian governments lone started placing orders successful the aftermath of the 2023 wildfire play — the worst the state has seen connected record.

Gradek said the European customers volition apt get their planes wrong the adjacent fewer years, but Canada volition person to wait.

"The request for these airplanes has skyrocketed successful the past 4 oregon 5 years arsenic a effect of clime change," helium said.

As Canada continues to spot terrible wildfires, astatine slightest 1 state is bringing antecedently grounded planes backmost into its fleet. Newfoundland and Labrador announced this outpouring that it would beryllium repairing a CL-415 that had been retired of work since 2018.

Gradek said helium expects to spot different provinces travel that example, saying that immoderate are already "cannibalizing" older CL-215 models for parts.

"They're borrowing and stealing parts connected the grounded airplanes to support their regular fleet afloat," helium said.

Ford said Sunday that the ongoing fires are emphasizing the request for Canada to person a nationalist wildfire strategy.

"We bash request that nationalist strategy to marque definite that erstwhile issues similar this happen, we person the resources, we person the h2o bombers," Ford said.

"We request a full fleet close crossed our large country."

Gradek agreed that it's good past clip for Canada to person a nationalized h2o bomber fleet.

"We've reached the constituent present wherever clime alteration is going to beryllium further aggravating immoderate script we have," helium said.