Three people died yesterday in a plane crash between two firefighting helicopters in California. A Bell 407 (registration N555AS) and an Sikorsky S-64E (registration N4037S) which had been sent to Cabazon to fight the flames collided. After the impact, the first aircraft crashed to the ground, killing all the people on board, while the occupants of the second helicopter were safe. 

"Firefighters were responding to a call to help for a wildfire in Southern California when flames spread throughout the vegetation, requiring aircraft to be dispatched to fight the wildfires", explained David Fulcher, chief of the CalFire Southern Region.

While one helicopter crashed to the ground, the other managed to land safely nearby. The three people on board who lost their lives were identified as the pilot, a division chief and a CalFire firefighting company captain. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident.