A helicopter that collided with one of the hundreds of fires in California, crashed Wednesday morning, killed the pilot and briefly caused another small fire, reports said.
The Bell UH-1 helicopter was on a water-drip mission for the 1,500-acre Hills fire when it crashed about 10 hours south of the city of Coalinga at 10 a.m., according to officials.
“The pilot was the only person on board the helicopter and did not survive the incident,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
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The helicopter was one of six that fought the blaze in Fresno County, which has been difficult to reach or contain due to extreme temperatures, steep terrain, and limited access, added firefighters.
The pilot, whose name has yet to be released, worked with Fillmore based Guardian Helicopters. The plane had a contract from Cal Fire to provide emergency services as needed, said Zoe Keliher, an investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board.
The crash responded over time to a small burning fire that would grow to roughly 50 acres and spread to the Hills fire, Los Angeles Times officials said.
Air and ground sources responded immediately to the crash site. An investigation is being conducted by the NTSB and supported by Cal Fire.
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The crash happened when crews worked in extreme heat on Wednesday to put out the fires in Northern California, which sent thousands of people out of their homes into the dirty air.
Hundreds of fires are now burning across California, with 23 said to be as large as groups of fires. Govin Gavin Newsom blamed them for “this extraordinary weather we are experiencing and all these lightning strikes.”
Seen in a long exposition photo, fires were burning near a hillside as the LNU Lightning Complex bursts into flames through the unincorporated Napa County, California, on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. a statewide heat wave continues. (AP Photo / Noah Berger)
Berlant said the accident marks just how dangerous fighting fires can be, according to the paper.
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“We are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of our firefighters and of course our contractors, so when an accident occurs, it just reminds us how dangerous this mission is,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
