Chopper crashes while fighting B.C. wildfire

Two pilots are recovering after their helicopter crashed while fighting a wildfire in B.C.'s southern interior.

The helicopter went down near Lillooet, B.C., on Thursday afternoon while the pilot and co-pilot were dumping water on the Jade Wildfire in Yalakom Valley.

RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said the two men were injured in the crash but were conscious when they were rescued.

"They were operating at a very active front area of the fire and, essentially, crashed at the fire's edge, or near the fire's edge," Moskaluk said.

The pilot, a 61-year-old man from Vernon, was airlifted to a hospital in Kamloops for treatment. It's believed he suffered a concussion and injuries to his leg.

The co-pilot, a 27-year-old man from Abbotsford, was treated at a hospital in Lillooet and later released.

"Extraction crews worked very quickly in getting to the two men and moving them out of further harm's way given the danger that the crash location posed," Moskaluk said.

"Although a somber reminder of the inherent risk involved in the carrying out of these firefighting duties, all agencies and the community at large were relieved to hear that the two men were recovered injured but alive. We're all very thankful for that."

Transwest Helicopters Ltd., the company that employs the men, said it seems their helicopter lost power while in mid-air.

The crash will be investigated by the Transportation Safety Board, Moskaluk said.