REDDING, Calif., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Nine firefighters were presumed dead Wednesday after a helicopter crashed near a wildfire in the mountains of Northern California, federal officials said.
The crash occurred Tuesday evening near Junction City in Trinity County where firefighters continued battling the Buckhorn Fire burning in rugged terrain.
"Of the 13 people reported to be on-board, four suffered serious injuries; nine are unaccounted for and are presumed to be fatally injured," the National Transportation Safety Board said in a written statement announcing the dispatch of a team of investigators to the scene.
The chopper was described as a Sikorsky S-61N that was being operated by the National Forest Service.
The Sacramento Bee said the helicopter had picked up the firefighters in Redding at around 7:30 p.m. PDT and went down for reasons that were still unknown Wednesday.
The Bee said the pilot was among the survivors and was in serious condition at a burn unit in Davis.
