Two helicopter crew members died Sunday when their aircraft crashed while fighting a wildfire inside Yosemite National Park.
The chopper went down shortly before 3 p.m. In Mariposa County with two people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration reported. The crash occurred as crews worked to contain the Dome Fire, which has burned more than 3,000 acres since it first ignited on Sept. 15.
Aerospace company Precision, which operated the helicopter, confirmed both crew members were killed in the accident. The company called the loss “devastating.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have launched a joint investigation into what caused the aircraft to crash. Officials have not released any preliminary findings or identified potential contributing factors.
The Dome Fire has been burning in the park for nearly two weeks, challenging firefighting crews across rugged terrain. The blaze has forced evacuations and trail closures as responders work to protect the iconic landscape.
Helicopter operations are a critical component of wildfire suppression in the steep, inaccessible terrain of the Sierra Nevada. Crews use the aircraft to drop water and retardant, transport personnel, and conduct reconnaissance over fires that ground crews cannot safely reach.
The deaths mark another tragedy in what has already been a deadly year for aerial firefighting operations in the western United States. Firefighting aviation remains among the most dangerous occupations in emergency response, with crews routinely flying low and slow over intense heat and unpredictable wind conditions.
Precision has not released the names of the deceased crew members pending notification of their families. The company did not provide additional details about the aircraft type or the specific mission the crew was flying when the crash occurred.
The NTSB typically takes months to complete investigations into fatal aviation accidents, though preliminary reports are often released within weeks when factual information is available.