Two pilots killed in plane crash while fighting national park fire

A helicopter responding to the ongoing Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park crashed on Sunday, killing both pilots on board. Alaska’s Forestry and Fire Protection division confirmed the fatal crash in a Monday press release, identifying one of the late pilots as Greg King. The division’s statement characterized King as a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many. California officials reported that the Dome Fire in Mariposa County, sparked last Tuesday, consumed nearly 3,400 acres and reached about 15% containment.

Who is the other pilot? Officials refrained from identifying the second pilot because they were still in the process of notifying next-of-kin, according to the Alaskan government’s statement. The cause of the crash remained unclear and would be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the division’s statement. The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS32, crashed in central California just before 3 p.m. local time during firefighting operations, according to a brief Sunday statement from the FAA.