Two firefighters and a pilot have reportedly been killed after a mid-air collision involving two helicopters tackling a fireplace in California.

Emergency officers stated the aircrafts had been combating a blaze in Riverside County, within the south of the US state.

Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher stated fireplace crews had been attending a constructing fireplace in the neighborhood of Cabazon which had prolonged into the vegetation round it.

A full wildland fireplace dispatch was initiated, which included fixed-wing and rotary-wing plane, and that is when the collision occurred.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the air emergency within the space of Pipeline Road and Apache path at 7.20pm, in keeping with a submit by the Riverside County Sheriff’s workplace on X, previously referred to as Twitter.

“Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed and tragically all three members perished which included one Cal Fire Division chief, one Cal Fire captain and one contract client pilot,” Chief Fulcher stated throughout a news convention early on Monday.

Chief Fulcher didn’t determine the victims.

The different helicopter landed safely and nobody on board was harm however the crash brought about an extra 4-acre (1.6-hectare) fireplace, which was extinguished.

The helicopter which crashed was performing work below contract with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, fireplace captain and spokesman Richard Cordova stated.

The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.