The battle against the Hills Fire burning in Fresno County turned deadly on Wednesday when a pilot working to contain the blaze was killed in a helicopter crash.
NBC Los Angeles reports that the Bell UH-1H chopper had been making water drops on the blaze when it crashed in a remote area, killing pilot Mike Fournier, 52, who was the only person on board the aircraft. CAL FIRE officials say the crash happened at about 10 a.m.
After hours traversing rugged terrain, the Fresno County Sheriff's search and rescue team reached the site of the crash to recover Fournier on Wednesday evening.
"It's tough on the crews. Whether you knew the person or didn't know the person, we are still all fighting this fire together. The camaraderie is very high," Seth Brown with CAL FIRE said.
