Staff Report –
Two people working on a contract for the U.S. Forest Service died on Sunday when their helicopter crashed while fighting a wildfire in Yosemite National Park, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter crashed in Mariposa, Calif., at about 2:55 p.m. local time, while fighting the Dome fire, which has burned more than 3,200 acres since it started on Tuesday.
Only the two people were on board. Officials said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
The crew members worked for a private aviation company, Precision, which was under contract with the Forest Service, said Adrienne Freeman, a spokeswoman for the agency.
At the time of the crash, they were engaged in “bucket work,” which involves scooping water out of a lake or river to dump on the fire, she said.
The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection identified one of the crew members as Greg King, a “cherished member of our wildland fire family,” who had deep ties to the agency, where close members of his family work. Officials did not release the name of the other crew member.
“Greg was a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us,” the division said in a statement. “We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families. We are standing alongside our staff and Greg’s loved ones as we grieve this profound tragedy together.”
Precision confirmed in a statement that one of its helicopters had crashed on Sunday while “actively fighting the fire.”
“Currently we are respecting the families, friends and colleagues that are involved and connected to this tragic loss,” Precision, which is based in McMinnville, Ore., said. It added that “at the right time the families will share information that they feel is important for the broader public. This is a devastating loss to everyone involved.”
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it was investigating the crash, and said it would send investigators to the scene when fire conditions permitted.
A preliminary report on the crash will be released within 30 days, the agency said.
The Dome fire started last week about an hour’s drive south of Yosemite Valley, the most-visited section of Yosemite National Park.
More than 580 people are fighting the fire, which is 15 percent contained, according to Jay Nichols, a spokesman for the team coordinating the joint local, state and federal effort to control the blaze. The cause of the fire is unknown, he said.
Yosemite National Park said in a statement on Friday that although the park remained open, several trails had been closed and smoke was still visible as the fire continued to burn through brush, grass and timber.
The fire broke out during dry weather that is typical in the Sierra Nevada in the late summer. With little rain having fallen in recent months, the grass, brush and trees were parched and highly flammable.
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