That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
Two people died while fighting fires in Yosemite National Park when their helicopter crashed in Mariposa County on Sunday afternoon. The victims were a pilot from Precision Helicopters and another crew member who were conducting water drops as part of a wildland firefighting team using ropes to access difficult terrain. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred southeast of Ostrander Lake while battling the Dome fire that started last Tuesday near Wawona Dome inside Yosemite National Park.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 20, two helicopter pilots died when their aircraft crashed while battling the Dome Fire near Ostrander Lake in Yosemite National Park, California. The crash occurred around 3 pm PT, southeast of Wawona and south of El Capitan. Both pilots were employed by Precision Helicopters and were conducting water drops as part of fire suppression efforts.
The Eurocopter AS32 helicopter involved in the incident was one of several aerial resources aiding ground crews fighting the blaze, which had burned over 3,000 acres since its inception on September 15. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash.
One pilot has been identified as Greg King, a veteran of Alaska’s firefighting community who moved to Precision recently. No other identifying details about the second pilot have been released publicly due to privacy concerns expressed by family members.
Written for “Helicopter Crash Fighting Yosemite Fires” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Monday that two people died while fighting fires in California’s Yosemite National Park after their helicopter crashed in Mariposa County.
asserted
helicopter → confirm → County
The two died Sunday afternoon while battling the Dome fire, which started last Tuesday near Wawona Dome inside Yosemite National Park, activating over 500 crisis responders.
asserted
which → die → responders
The FAA said one passenger and one crew member on board were killed after the helicopter “crashed under unknown circumstances while on water bucket drops.”
asserted
helicopter → say → drops
The Federal Complex Incident Management Team, which is overseeing the firefighting response, said two helicopter pilots were conducting water drops as part of a wildland firefighting crew that specializes in using ropes to descend from helicopters to reach otherwise inaccessible terrain.
asserted
that → oversee → terrain
They were helitack rappelling when the aircraft went down southeast of Ostrander Lake
asserted
aircraft → rappel → Lake
, FCIMT told the Associated Press, and were the only two people aboard the helicopter.
asserted
FCIMT → tell → helicopter
Authorities have identified one of those who died as Greg King, a “dedicated aviator” from Alaska.
asserted
who → identify → Alaska
“King, a pilot for Precision Helicopters, a contract helicopter company … was a cherished member of our wildland fire family, having served on wildland fires in Alaska and extensively alongside the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection,” the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection told Fox 26 in a statement.
asserted
Division → serve → statement
We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families.
asserted
hearts → mourn → families
“
Firefighting contractor FlyPrecision confirmed two team members died battling the Dome fire.
asserted
members → confirm → fire
“It is with unimaginable sadness and broken hearts that we share the loss of two beloved members of our team,” the company wrote in a post on Instagram.
asserted
company → share → Instagram
“We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words.”
asserted
We → devastate → words
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources said the cause of the crash remains under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
asserted
cause → say → FAA
The Aporia
