Two people were killed when a firefighting helicopter crashed while battling the Dome Fire in California’s Yosemite National Park on September 20, 2026.
The helicopter was conducting water drops when it went down near Ostrander Lake. Operator Precision confirmed that two members of its team died.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma and said it crashed at approximately 14:55 local time during firefighting operations in Mariposa, California. Two people were aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation, with FAA assistance.
Recovery efforts continued on September 21, complicated by the remote crash location and the active wildfire. The victims’ names had not been released, pending notification of their families.
Precision CEO David Rath expressed sorrow over the deaths and requested privacy for the families and the company’s employees.
The Dome Fire began on September 15 north of Wawona Dome. It had burned 3,222 acres and was 15% contained in an update posted by CAL FIRE shortly before noon on September 21. The National Park Service has jurisdiction over the incident.
Steep terrain and limited access have made the firefighting operation heavily dependent on aircraft. Helicopters have been carrying crews into remote areas and dropping water to support firefighters building containment lines on the ground.
The National Park Service said in a September 18 update that multiple crews had been flown into the fire, with helicopters making repeated water drops along the crews’ working areas.
