2 firefigthing helicopters collide midair in Cabazon, killing 3

Two helicopters collided while battling a blaze in the Cabazon community of Southern California, resulting in the tragic loss of three lives, officials announced on Sunday night.

During a press conference, CalFire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher explained that while the first helicopter managed to land safely nearby, the second helicopter unfortunately crashed, leading to the unfortunate deaths of all three crew members.

Among the victims were a contracted pilot, a CalFire division chief, and a CalFire captain, Fulcher revealed.

These helicopters were part of a response team consisting of six aircrafts deployed to combat the Broadway Fire. The fire originated from a structure fire and quickly spread to the surrounding vegetation, as described by the region's chief.

Initially covering approximately three acres when firefighters arrived around 6 p.m., the Broadway Fire's "forward rate of spread" was successfully halted by shortly after 7 p.m., according to a joint Twitter account shared by CalFire and the Riverside County Fire Department.

A second fire, spanning four acres, was ignited as a result of the helicopter collision but has since been extinguished, Fulcher confirmed.

These fatalities mark the first losses of the 2023 fire season in California, based on data provided by CalFire.

Chief Fulcher expressed profound condolences and sympathy to the families and colleagues of the personnel affected. He acknowledged the tragedy as a profound loss for the local community, the firefighting fraternity, as well as CalFire and the Riverside County Fire Department.

The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the helicopter crash, according to Fulcher. CNN has reached out to the agency for comment.

Cabazon, situated in Riverside County, lies approximately 90 miles east of Los Angeles.