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A helicopter battling one of hundreds of fires in California crashed Wednesday morning, killing the pilot and briefly causing another small brush fire, according to reports.
The Bell UH-1 helicopter was on a water-dropping mission for the 1,500-acre Hills blaze when it crashed about 9 miles south of the town of Coalinga around 10 a.m., officials say .
“The pilot was the only person on the helicopter and did not survive the incident,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
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The helicopter was one of six to fight the blaze in Fresno County, which was difficult to reach and contain due to extreme temperatures, steep terrain and limited access, officials added. firefighters.
The pilot, whose name has not yet been released, worked with Fillmore-based Guardian Helicopters. The plane had a contract with Cal Fire to provide emergency services when needed, said Zoe Keliher, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator.
The crash reportedly started a small brush fire that would reach about 50 acres and spread to the Hills blaze, officials told the Los Angeles Times.
Air and ground resources immediately responded to the crash site. An investigation is being conducted by the NTSB with the help of Cal Fire.
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The crash happened as crews were working in extreme heat on Wednesday to put out the flames in northern California that sent thousands of people from their homes into smoky air.
Hundreds of fires are currently burning across California, 23 of which are believed to be major fires or cluster fires. Governor Gavin Newsom blamed them on “these extraordinary times we are living in and all these love at first sight”.
Seen in a long-exposure photograph, embers burn along a hill as fires at the LNU Lightning Complex tear through the unincorporated county of Napa, Calif. On Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Fire crews from across the region have rushed to contain dozens of forest fires triggered by lightning strikes as a heat wave continues statewide. (AP Photo / Noah Berger)
Berlant said the crash showed how dangerous battle fires can be, according to the newspaper.
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“We take extreme measures to ensure the safety of our firefighters and of course our subcontractors, so when an accident does occur, it reminds us how dangerous this mission is,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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