A military helicopter crash occurred in Salado, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon. The aircraft involved was an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter based at Fort Hood.
The crash happened near FM 2843, and a large grass fire broke out as a result, according to rocketcitynow.com. Residents in the area were evacuated due to the fire, which was described as potentially out of control, according to a report from NBC News.
Emergency responders, military personnel, and law enforcement all responded to the scene. No houses or structures were damaged in the crash.
The identities of the two people killed have not been released to the public. Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general at Fort Hood, said the priority was securing the site and supporting response efforts, CBS News reported.
The road was inaccessible to drivers due to the fire and debris. A tanker aircraft was deployed to drop fire retardant on the field southwest of Salado.
Fort Hood is located near Killeen, Texas, about 70 miles north of Austin. Salado itself is roughly 50 miles north of Austin.
There was no immediate information provided about what caused the crash. The victims have not yet been publicly identified.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
IMAGE: Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army” – by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)