Two pilots die in Yosemite National Park helicopter crash

Yosemite National Park remains open and operating normally, according to park officials, with some trail closures in place. FILE: 7-year-old becomes youngest ever to summit Yosemite's legendary El Capitan climbing route Most kids celebrate their 7th birthday with cake and presents. Joey Danger Evermore celebrated by making history. He became the youngest person ever to summit Yosemite National Park's iconic El Capitan hiking route. Joey and his father, Joe, joined FOX Weather to discuss the record-setting climb, the months of preparation behind it and what it was like to take on one of America's most legendary outdoor challenges together. THE TAKEAWAYA wildfire has scorched more than 1,900 acres in Yosemite National Park. The Dome Fire started on Sept. 15 in Yosemite’s backcountry. The fire was 10% contained as of Thursday. A growing wildfire in California’s Yosemite National Park has forced trail closures as flames scorched more than 1,977 acres Thursday, with firefighters working to contain the blaze. MASSIVE WILDFIRE WIPED OUT 80% OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S RAREST PLANTS — NOW SCIENTISTS ARE FIGHTING TO SAVE ITThe Dome Fire started Sept.

Investigators are working to determine what caused the deadly crash. THE TAKEAWAYTwo pilots were killed when a helicopter crashed during Dome Fire operations in Yosemite National Park. Investigators are working to determine what caused the deadly crash. The wildfire has burned more than 3,400 acres and remains only 15% contained. MARIPOSA, Calif. – Two pilots were killed when a helicopter crashed while supporting firefighting operations in Yosemite National Park, officials said. On Sunday, a helicopter carrying pilots Greg King and Ryan Cutter crashed into the Dome Fire. The Dome Fire was first reported on the morning of September 15, 2026. (National Park Service)"We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words. We ask for privacy and compassion for their families and our team as we grieve this tremendous loss," Precision, an aviation and helicopter services company, said in a social media statement identifying the pilots. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Eurocopter AS32 helicopter crashed in Mariposa, California, around 2:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 20, while battling the wildfire.

Indigenous communities near Yosemite often traded with distant tribes to obtain obsidian. There is a simple reason why Indigenous arrowhead crafting has remained largely the same for thousands of years—if something works, it works. The earliest examples of these lethal tools date back around 74,000 years ago to Stone Age Ethiopia, but the skill is still practiced today by trained artisans around the world. Yet, the process isn’t only a matter of breaking rocks into sharp-edged projectiles.. As Yosemite National Park officials recently highlighted, there is more to this very specific technique called knapping.

Hurricane Trudy will bring flood threat to the Southwest USTrudy is off the Mexican coast, however, its moisture will pour into the Southwestern U. S., helping fuel a multiday flood risk across seven states this week from California to Colorado. A dip in the jet stream will also funnel in moisture from the Pacific as a strong low pressure system moves into the region. Timing out this week’s rainfallWednesday: The highest risk of flooding on Wednesday covers much of Arizona and parts of New Mexico, as well as southern portions of Colorado and Utah. There will be an abundance of moisture available to support heavy downpours and training storms. This means storms will produce heavy rain over the same areas for long periods of time. The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting rainfall rates as high as 2 inches per hour. Some of the biggest concern will be the possibility of mudslides over recent burn scar areas as well as slow canyons and arroyos. If you have plans to visit any of the national parks in the West this week, make sure you check the forecast daily and pay attention to any warnings or advisories issued.

An October nor'easter is developing in the Atlantic, where it will bring high surf, rip currents, coastal flooding and winds to parts of the East Coast for several days this week. The National Hurricane Center has highlighted it as an area to watch this week for the potential development of Josephine. However, regardless of whether we call this system a nor'easter or Josephine, the impacts will be the same. The bottom line: This system will bring dangerous conditions to the East Coast for multiple days this week.(MORE: What is a nor'easter?)Fortunately, this nor'easter doesn't look to be as strong as the one in September. But the bad news? It could linger for much of the week, so impacts could have a longer duration. Coastal flood alerts are in effect for parts of coastal North Carolina and Virginia, where anywhere from 1 to 4 feet of inundation is possible. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. Key takeawaysWe do not expect this storm to be as strong as the late September nor'easter.

We have the maps you need to track all the systems ongoing in the Pacific and Atlantic below. Tracking the AtlanticTropical development areasSea surface temperatures Wind shear These are areas of strong wind shear, the difference in wind speed and direction with height, which are shown in purple. High wind shear is hostile to mature tropical cyclones and those trying to develop.(MORE: What is wind shear?)Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. Dry, dusty airAnother nemesis of tropical systems is dry air. In hurricane season, plumes of dust-laden air stream across the basin from Africa's Sahara Desert, as you can see in the map below. This sinking, dry air squelches thunderstorm development, the building blocks of tropical storms and hurricanes. So areas in the brown shading below are generally unfavorable for development. Atlantic tracks so far this seasonThese are the tracks of systems that were at least tropical or subtropical storms so far in the Atlantic Basin.