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CalFire IDs 3 People Killed In Midair Collision Of Helicopters Near Cabazon
CalFire officials address the media early Monday about the fatal helicopter crash near Cabazon Sunday night.
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Courtesy CalFire via livestream of briefing
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Two helicopters responding to a fire in Cabazon in Riverside County collided Sunday evening. While one helicopter was able to land safely, the other crashed, killing the three people on board.
What we know
CalFire Southern California region Chief David Fulcher told reporters at Monday's news conference that the helicopters were responding to a wildland fire that had spread from a structure. The crash happened after 6 p.m. and caused a four-acre wildfire, which has been extinguished.
Watch the news conference:
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Media Briefing - Helicopter Crash in Cabazon, CA https://t.co/J7ngV1TK1L
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) August 7, 2023
CalFire officials react
CalFire officials have identified the victims as Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, 46, Fire Capt. Tim Rodriguez. 44, and pilot Tony Sousa, 55.
In an early morning press conference, Fulcher gave his condolences.
"I would like to express our deepest sympathies and sorrow to the family and coworkers of the personnel. This was a tragic loss for the community, the fire service community, the CalFire and Riverside county fire department."
What's next
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
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Updated August 7, 2023 at 11:12 AM PDT
This story was updated with the names of the victims who were killed in the helicopter crash.
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