2 Killed as 2 Planes Fighting Fire Crash

HOPLAND, Calif. — Two California Department of Forestry air tankers collided Monday while fighting a Mendocino County fire, police say.

Neither of the pilots survived the crash, said Mike Tuttle, department fire captain.

The pilots were fighting a 200-acre fire that has burned four structures and is threatening more than a dozen others, said Tracy Boudreaux, a department spokeswoman. Authorities were unclear what may have caused the crash, she said.

The aircraft were S-2 tankers capable of carrying 500 gallons of retardant, Boudreaux said. All other aircraft were grounded after the collision, which occurred about 7:30 p.m. about eight miles south of Ukiah.

The fire itself has not caused any injuries, but Boudreaux said some residents have evacuated voluntarily. The fire, which began Monday afternoon, has been classified as “suspicious.”

Nine aircraft were fighting the blaze when the accident occurred, said Sgt. Ron Welch of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department. “They were crossing paths with each other,” witness Jeff Anderson told KRON-TV in San Francisco. “They did hit direct, and it looked like one might have knocked the tail off the other one, but obvious damage was done to both to make them crash.”