Firefighting helicopter crashes in Yosemite National Park while battling fire, killing two

Two pilots died on Sunday afternoon when their Super Puma helicopter crashed while dropping water on the Dome Fire in California's Yosemite National Park. Greg King, a pilot with contract firm Precision, was identified as one of the deceased. The crash occurred southeast of Ostrander Lake. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause. This incident brings the total number of helicopter pilots killed fighting wildfires in Colorado, Utah, and California this year to five. The US is experiencing an intense wildfire season due to low winter snowpack, record temperatures, and drought, with at least 18 people having died fighting US wildfires in 2026, exceeding the recent full-year average.