VALENCIA, Spain —Spanish firefighting helicopter pilot Jose Agustine Gomez Nieva died Monday when his helicopter crashed. Nieva, 59, was battling the Cortes de Pallas fire, the largest wildland fire in Spanish history, according to several news agencies.
The helicopters typically transport hot-shot crews, but Nieva was en route to the reservoir to fill up with water to drop on the fire. Nieva’s helicopter was found in 16 feet of water and took nearly a day to recover his body. The cause of the crash is unknown.
According to the International Association of Wildland Fire, both helicopters were operated by the private firm Grupo Inaer.
IAWF reports that two men were arrested in connection with starting the fire; they were apparently installing solar panels on homes in the area. The fire has burned nearly 123,000 acres and involved about 2,000 firefighters.