A helicopter pilot battling the wildfire in California died Wednesday morning when his plane crashed in Fresno County, officials said.
The pilot was on a waterfall mission when the helicopter crashed about 160 miles south of San Francisco, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.
The pilot was the only person on board the helicopter.
Hundreds of wildfires are raging across the state, fueled by thousands of lightning strikes associated with recent storms that do not miss rain.
“We are experiencing fires like we have not seen in many, many years,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Wednesday.
The governor said he had sought outside help to fight the fires.
The California winery is particularly hard hit, with 50 structures in the region destroyed from the flames.
The fire, which broke out between San Francisco and Sacramento, covered more than 46,000 acres and forced part evacuation of the city of Vacaville.
High winds and the state’s record-breaking heat wave, combined with low humidity, have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
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