Two killed in helicopter crash as homes evacuated and incident sparks wildfire

Two killed in helicopter crash as homes evacuated and incident sparks wildfire The crash killed both people on board the Army Apache helicopter and sparked a wildfire that forced several homes to be evacuated - no structures were damaged in the crash Both people on board a military helicopter have died after it crashed in a central Texas field. The Army Apache helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 13 then sparked a wildfire that forced several homes to be evacuated. The chopper crashed while on a routine training flight, according to reports. The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter set-up is such that crew sits behind each other. The pilot is in the rear and the co-pilot gunner in the front position. No cause of the crash was immediately announced. Nearby Fort Hood's criminal investigation division is leading the crash investigation. Spokesman for the Bell County Sheriff’s office, Cliff Coleman, said that the helicopter did not hit any homes or other structures when it crashed. "You could tell it was a violent crash," he said. Photographs from the scene showed firefighters walking around a charred field as plumes of dark smoke rose from flames still burning in the wreckage. "Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts," said Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general. "Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information." Fort Hood is a massive base used to train and deploy heavy forces. Its rolling, arid terrain around the base provides an ideal training ground, the Army says. The crash on Wednesday is not the first instance in which military personnel have died in Fort Hood. Four soldiers were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise in November 2015. In 2016, Nine Fort Hood soldiers died when a rain-swollen creek swept their vehicle into rushing waters.