One of the reasons last week's collision between a firefighting plane and a drone caused such a stir is that Los Angeles doesn't have many backup Super Tackles to replace the planes.

The Los Angeles Fire Department typically leases two a year, but authorities are requesting more to fight wildfires that continue to burn throughout the metropolitan area. There are only about 160 in operation worldwide, each built by a Canadian company and their design has changed little in 55 years.

"It's a solid, reliable and very rugged aircraft," said Neil Sweeney, vice president of corporate affairs for Calgary-based aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Co.

He said the "super shovels" were named because of their ability to pick up 6,000 liters of water from a body of water and throw it onto a nearby wildfire burning in just 12 seconds. It's a specialized mission that is increasingly in demand as a warming climate leads to bigger, hotter, more frequent fires that are often difficult to control.

Unlike most other firefighting aircraft, which must return to base after each landing, the Super Scoop can fly for three to four hours, returning repeatedly to suck in and release water on a fire. Their powerful engines allow pilots to slow down and execute landings with precision, Sweeney said, and the planes have proven capable of operating in "some of the harshest conditions possible," including strong winds.

So even the temporary loss of a Super Forklift can hinder firefighting operations in a situation where every hour counts. Sweeney said Thursday's drone crash, which punched a hole in the plane's left wing, was a close call. He added that the plane landed safely and no one was injured, but the situation could have been worse if the drone had hit somewhere else.

Still, the incident grounded aircraft for days, leaving authorities unable to cope with a change in wind direction over the weekend. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said the drone was expected to fly again on Tuesday, but officials said they were taking the incident seriously and the FBI was seeking information about the drone's operator.

Meanwhile, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection urges people to respect restricted airspace. "There may have been injuries," Cal Fire information officer Scott McLean said. "There could have been casualties."

So far, there aren't many alternatives to Super Spoon. While tech startups race to build bigger, more powerful firefighting drones, most are still in the development stage. Experts say it may be some time before effective and affordable autonomous aircraft become widely available, given the logistical hurdles and safety regulations that need to be addressed first.

De Havilland focuses primarily on special mission aircraft. The company has been producing the current Super Scooper model since 2015, when former manufacturer Bombardier sold the program to de Havilland. Sweeney said the company is currently producing the first 22 new Super Scooper aircraft, known as the De Havilland Canadair 515, for European fire departments.

Earlier versions—the CL-215 produced in the 1970s and 1980s and the CL-415 produced from the 1990s to 2015—are still in use. Sweeney estimates that about 70 of the Super Forklifts currently in service are older CL-215 models. He expects more fire departments will soon be looking for replacements, as many respond to more intense and prolonged fire seasons and as other places that don't typically experience wildfires begin to do the same.

"We're seeing great demand around the world," Sweeney said, adding that de Havilland hopes to increase production to nine to 10 aircraft per year.

Most Super Scoopers in the United States are owned by Montana-based Bridger Aerospace. With six aircraft, the company owns the world's largest private Super Scooper fleet and leases aircraft to fire departments. Over the weekend, Bridger flew a CL-415 that was undergoing winter maintenance to California.

Other Super Scoopers operating in the United States are leased from Canada, such as the Quebec 1 that was hit by a drone in Los Angeles. Canadian officials have leased two CL-415 aircraft from the Quebec government each fire season for the past 31 years.

The partnership reflects a long history of cross-border resource sharing for wildfire control, Sweeney said, adding that he hopes the partnership will continue even as challenges grow.

The incoming U.S. administration may bring uncertainty to this arrangement, with President-elect Donald Trump already threatening to impose tariffs of up to 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico. He also said this month that he wanted Canada to become the 51st country, raising diplomatic tensions and leading to a leadership change in the country's ruling party.

For now, though, "there is a high degree of cooperation globally, especially among states and provinces in North America when it comes to severe wildfires," Sweeney said. "Our American friends send us equipment, people and vice versa."