Helicopter crashes while battling Yalakom wildfire

LILLOOET (NEWS1130) - Transwest Helicopters confirms one of its choppers has crashed while fighting a wildfire near Lillooet Thursday afternoon.

The helicopter went down as the crew was bucketing the fire from above near the active edge of the blaze. Another chopper was in the area and was able to call for help immediately.

The pilot, a 61-year-old man from Vernon, and his 27-year old co-pilot from Abbotsford, survived the accident and have been taken to hospital with minor injuries. The pilot suffered a concussion and a leg injury, while the co-pilot ended up with bumps and bruises.

The cause of the accident is not known. Transwest is expecting to be able to remove the wreckage by Friday.

The Yalakom fire near Lillooet is still only 15 per cent contained, covering an area of over one thousand hectares.