Two pilots were killed Wednesday afternoon when a Fort Hood-based Apache helicopter crashed in a field near Salado, sparking a wildfire that has grown to 100 acres, according to officials.
The Texas A&M Forest Service has named the wildfire the Dove Hollow Fire and reports it is 45% contained as crews continue working the fire
Fort Hood confirmed an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter based at the installation crashed Wednesday south of Salado. CBS Austin has confirmed the helicopter was from the 1st Cavalry Division.
The helicopter crashed around 1:35 p.m. about half a mile west of the 16400 block of Kuykendall Road, and both pilots aboard were confirmed dead at around 2:30 pm, Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, told CBS Austin.
The helicopter crashed into a field and did not strike any structures or people on the ground, according to CNN.
“It crashed into a field. You could tell it was a violent crash,” Coleman told CBS Austin.
Fort Hood said local emergency responders, military personnel and law enforcement were responding to the scene.
“Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts,” Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, Fort Hood’s acting commanding general, said. “Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”
Gov. Greg Abbott also responded to the deaths Wednesday afternoon, asking Texans to pray for the service members’ families and the Fort Hood community.
“Today, an Apache helicopter crashed in Bell County during Fort Hood operations, killing two members of our military,” Abbott said in a post on X. “Join Cecilia and me in prayer for their families and the entire Fort Hood community.
Abbott added that Texas is “forever indebted” to those who serve the state and country.
The crash sparked what is now being called the Dove Hollow Fire. The Texas A&M Forest Service reports the fire has burned an estimated 100 acres and is 45% contained.
Earlier Wednesday, Coleman told CNN the fire was uncontrolled, and evacuations were underway in the area
Salado Fire and Bell County ESD No. 1 also issued a public safety alert asking people to avoid FM 2843, saying the roadway was impassable in the affected area. Drivers were asked to use alternate routes and avoid interfering with responding emergency vehicles.
It was not immediately clear where the helicopter was coming from or where it was headed, CNN reported.
The AH-64 Apache is a two-person Army attack helicopter, with a pilot seated in the rear and a co-pilot/gunner in the front.
The identities of the two pilots have not been released.
Fort Hood said the incident remains an ongoing and developing situation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available
