Two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed on Sunday afternoon during a firefighting operation at Yosemite National Park, officials confirmed. The pilots were the only people aboard the Super Puma helicopter, which was being used to conduct water drops to help suppress the Dome Fire. The crash occurred southeast of Ostrander Lake, according to Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson for the Federal Complex Incident Management Team overseeing the response to the fire. The cause of the crash has not yet been disclosed, and an investigation will be conducted by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Precision, the contract aircraft company that employed the pilots, expressed deep sorrow over the loss in a social media post. The company described the pilots as "beloved members of our team" and requested privacy and compassion for their families and colleagues as they grieve. The names of the pilots have not been released at this time. The Dome Fire, which began on September 15 near Wawona, California, is currently burning over approximately 4.7 square miles (12.3 square kilometers) and is about 15% contained. Roughly 580 people are working to combat the blaze. The crash site was near Ostrander Lake, located about 9 miles (14 kilometers) south of Yosemite’s famous El Capitan rock formation and 7 miles (11 kilometers) northeast of Wawona. This incident adds to a growing list of fatalities related to wildfires in the United States this year. According to government reports, at least 14 people have died while assisting with wildfires in the U.S. so far, the highest number since 2022, when 25 deaths were recorded. Earlier this year, two helicopter pilots died in Utah while fighting a fire, and a helicopter pilot in Colorado crashed into a reservoir. In August, a firefighter suffered a medical emergency during a wildfire in Oklahoma, and another firefighter in Oregon was struck by a falling tree. A wildfire officer was killed in Oklahoma after being trapped during an evacuation, and a firefighter in Minnesota died from a medical emergency. In June, four firefighters were trapped in a fire in western Colorado.