Firefighters injured in helicopter crash while fighting forest fire

ARTEAGA, Coah., (apro) .- A Bell 212 helicopter crashed Tuesday morning in the Sierra de Arteaga, leaving seven people injured, including the pilot and firefighters who were responding to a forest fire in the La Rioja canyon.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. when the unit, carrying firefighters, was heading toward the upper part of the canyon in the Sierra de Arteaga, where a fire was raging.

"Unfortunately, we had an incident. The Bell 212 helicopter crashed, and fortunately, the seven firefighters on board, along with the pilot, are safe and were evaluated by Civil Protection and Firefighters from the municipality," explained Arteaga Mayor Karen Sánchez Flores.

The passengers exited the burning aircraft on their own and were immediately treated.

The councilor stated that, although they had minor injuries, they were sent to a hospital in the city of Saltillo for medical evaluation to rule out internal health problems. "We are monitoring them; they arrived at the camp on their own," she added.

This morning, an hour before the incident, the official announced the resumption of firefighting efforts in the La Rioja canyon and assured that environmental conditions were suitable for the aircraft's departure.

Following the helicopter crash, Sánchez Flores stated that efforts to extinguish the fire in the Sierra de Arteaga continue with the remaining firefighters on the front lines, who are part of the National Forestry Commission, as well as Civil Protection and Firefighters from the municipality, in addition to firefighters from the Coahuila government's Ministry of the Environment.

HELICOPTER ACCIDENT? IN SIERRA DE #ARTEAGA WITH 8 BRIGADISTS

The State Government Secretariat of #Coahuila , through the Undersecretariat of Civil Protection, reported that on Tuesday morning the forced landing of a Bell-type helicopter was recorded in the… pic.twitter.com/KJvcfQuu79 — Carlos Hidalgo (@CarlosHidalgoo) April 29, 2025