Oakland, CA – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) made the following statement today in response to the helicopter crash that left nine people dead and four seriously injured during efforts to fight the Iron Complex wildfire in Northern California Tuesday night:
“I was deeply saddened by the terrible helicopter crash in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy and my thoughts and prayers are with them.
“These brave firefighters and pilots, like thousands fighting fires across our state, put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our communities, and we are forever indebted to them for their courage, service and sacrifice.
“We must learn why this crash occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation, and I have written to its Chairman, asking to be kept informed about the progress, findings and lessons learned to prevent such tragedies in the future.”
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