A pilot was killed when his helicopter crashed while fighting wildfires in central California, adding yet another blaze to the hundreds raging across the state.
Cal Fire said the chopper went down on Wednesday morning during a water dropping mission over the Hills Fire in western Fresno County, about nine miles south of Coalinga.
The impact sparked a new fire that burned across 50 acres before merging with the original fire the helicopter was working to subdue.
The pilot of the Bell UH-1H helicopter was the only person on board and has not yet been identified. The helicopter was described as ‘Call When Needed’, meaning that it was privately owned but contracted out to help the government respond to emergencies.❐
