Two pilots were killed when their firefighting helicopter crashed whilst suppressing the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park on Sunday. The incident claimed the lives of Ryan Cutter and Greg King, who both worked for Precision Helicopters, a contractor supporting firefighting operations. The tragedy underscores the significant risks faced by aviation crews engaged in wildfire suppression efforts.

The Super Puma helicopter crashed near Ostrander Lake whilst conducting water bucket drops on the fire, which ignited on 15 September near Wawona, California. At the time of the incident, approximately 580 personnel were battling the wildfire, which had consumed roughly 4.7 square miles and achieved about 15 per cent containment. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the crash. Cutter had been a pilot since 2011 and had worked with Precision Helicopters for approximately eighteen months, whilst King had extensive experience fighting wildland fires in Alaska.