A helicopter pilot assisting in putting out a California blaze crashed and died on Wednesday.
Cal Fire, the state’s forestry and fire protection department, said that the individual was on a water-dropping mission in Fresno County. The crash itself started a new brush fire.
It is unclear whether the pilot was a firefighting professional or a volunteer. Officials have confirmed that the pilot, whose identity has not been released, was the only person onboard.
There are 367 wildfires raging through California. Extreme heat and massive lightning storms created the perfect conditions for the fires to spark. Already, nearly 300,000 acres have burned, and tens of thousands have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
Firefighters have been overwhelmed, meaning sometimes, volunteer assistance is needed.
“My recommendation is that all the citizens in California be ready to go if there is a wildfire,” Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynnette Round said Wednesday. “Residents have to have their bags packed up with your nose facing out your driveway so you can leave quickly. Everybody should be ready to go, especially if you’re in a wildfire area.”
