A firefighting helicopter collided in mid-air with another helicopter Sunday evening while battling a blaze in Riverside County, Calif., killing all three people on the first aircraft, CalFire said, adding that the other landed safely.
CBS News Los Angeles says a “fiery mid-air collision” occurred.
David Fulcher, southern region chief for CalFire, told reporters those killed were a CalFire division chief, a CalFire captain and a contract pilot. He said the crash sparked an additional four acre fire that was extinguished.
No one on the chopper that landed was hurt, officials said.
One remarked that although the incident was tragic, officials are thankful that it wasn’t worse.
Sheriff’s deputies responded at 7:20 p.m. to an air emergency as crews were battling the Broadway Fire near Cabazon, according to a post by the Riverside County Sheriff’s office on X, formerly known as Twitter.
CBS News Los Angeles says the collision happened over Native American land.
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