3 people were killed fighting a California wildfire after two helicopters collided

Investigators walk around rotor blades from a crashed helicopter on a burned hillside in Cabazon, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Three people were killed when their helicopter crashed into a hillside after colliding with another chopper as the team battled a wildfire, emergency officials said. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Three people were killed while fighting a California wildfire after two helicopters collided Sunday afternoon, according to state authorities.

First responders were initially responding to a structure fire in Cabazon, Calif., when the blaze spread to nearby vegetation. Cal Fire, the state department that specializes in extinguishing wildfires, then dispatched six aircraft to the scene.