By admin 
The identity of one of two pilots killed Sunday after their helicopter crashed as they battled the Dome Fire inside Yosemite National Park was released Monday.
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The State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection identified Greg King as one of the pilots in a statement on Monday.
“King was a cherished member of our wildland fire family, having served on wildland fires in Alaska and extensively alongside the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. King’s ties to our agency run deep, with close loved ones currently employed with our Division,” the statement read.
King’s Facebook page says that he lives in Palmer, Alaska, and that he is from New Zealand.
The identity of the second pilot was not released.
Earlier Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said a Eurocopter AS32 crashed near Mariposa at about 2:55 p.m. during firefighting operations on the Dome Fire, burning near Wawona at the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
Fly Precision, an Oregon-based company that offers manned and unmanned aviation support, confirmed the deaths of two of its pilots in a statement on Monday.
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“It is with unimaginable sadness and broken hearts that we share the loss of two beloved members of our team. 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. Please keep their families, loved ones, and our entire team in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The California Incident Management Team 3 is managing the wildfire and the crash. It was not included in Dome Fire’s official update Monday morning, but officials later confirmed that the remains of the pilots had been recovered and would be carried in procession through Mariposa to Modesto, where they would be transported to final destinations.
Dome fire at 3,000-plus acres
The Dome Fire began Sept. 15 near the Chilnualna Falls trailhead and the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park. It had grown to more than 3,000 acres by Sunday afternoon and is listed as 15% contained.
It is currently moving to the north and east and is now burning inside the footprint of 2017’s Empire Fire.
According to NPS.gov, the park is experiencing “minor operational impacts” from the wildfire, but on Monday announced the area closed by the fire had grown to include a swatch for wild land from Wawona, north to the Badger Pass Ski Area and Glacier Point Road and from Wawona Road (Hwy 41), east to Chinquapin.
This is a developing story
This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 4:12 PM with the headline “One of two helicopter pilots who died fighting Dome Fire in Yosemite is identified.”
Read more One of two helicopter pilots who died fighting Dome Fire in Yosemite is identified