Two Pilot Deaths at the Dome Fire and Vanishing Air Monitors — September 22, 2026

A hard day in the fire world, and a longer-running story about how much the public can actually see about the air it breathes. Here is what was reported today.

Two pilots die fighting the Dome Fire in Yosemite

Two pilots died Sunday afternoon when their Super Puma helicopter crashed while making water bucket drops on the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park, southeast of Ostrander Lake. One of the pilots was Greg King, who worked for the contract firm Precision, according to a statement from the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. The second pilot was not named while family members were still being notified.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause. As Reuters reports, the deaths bring the number of helicopter pilots killed this year fighting wildfires in Colorado, Utah and California to five, and at least 18 people have died fighting US wildfires in 2026 — already more than the recent full-year average of 17.

The country is losing the air monitors that catch pollution

Federal funding for public air monitoring has fallen over recent decades, the number of monitors has dropped, and much of the equipment still running is aging or sits far from major polluters. Meanwhile wildfire smoke is reaching more communities, data centers are adding pollution, and hotter summers are worsening ozone.

Many communities have responded by buying low-cost sensors of their own. A Floodlight investigation published by ABC17News finds industry is now moving to limit that too: since 2024, lawmakers in Louisiana, Ohio and Kentucky have passed similar bills, backed by chemical and manufacturing trade groups, that block regulators from using air-quality data in enforcement unless it meets EPA-approved standards. Similar bills in West Virginia have not passed.

Chileno Fire cleanup continues and the advisory lifts

Crews spent Monday working hot spots on the Chileno Fire, which burned about 340 acres of ranchland west of Petaluma on the Marin side of the Sonoma County line. Overnight fog slowed the fire and helped crews reach 50% containment by early Monday.

Smoke had drifted north into Sonoma County, prompting the Bay Area Air Quality District to issue an advisory for Sonoma and Marin. The Mercury News reports the district did not expect to reissue it, and the advisory was set to expire overnight Monday.

North Texas is under an air quality alert

An air quality alert is in effect across North Texas through the afternoon, driven by light winds and high heat. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport picked up 1.01 inches of rain Monday, breaking a dry streak, but high pressure is rebuilding with highs in the mid-to-upper 90s and the drought still in place.

Light winds are the part that matters for air. FOX 4 News reports the rest of the week stays dry and warm, so pollution has little to push it out of the region.

California declares an early emergency ahead of El Niño

Fall arrives in San Diego at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday, but forecasters say the usual cooling may be delayed. A large emerging El Niño is warming sea-surface temperatures off southwest Mexico and feeding tropical systems that push heat and humid air into Southern California.

Most of San Diego County saw only trace rain this summer, and the high at San Diego International Airport ran above normal on 70 of the 92 summer days. Firefighters are watching for Santa Ana winds, which usually pick up in October. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an early statewide emergency Monday to give agencies and first responders time to prepare.

Spokane fire relief checks are going out

Hundreds of Spokane residents who lost homes in the Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires on Aug. 1 have applied for $10,000 grants funded by retired hotelier Walt Worthy, who created the Karen Worthy Memorial Wildfire Grants in memory of his late wife.

The Spokesman-Review reports that 400 applications arrived within eight hours of the program going live, and some 696 people had applied as of Monday. The money is being distributed through the Innovia Foundation, Washington Trust Bank and the Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group.

Sources

• Two pilots die in helicopter crash fighting California wildfire — Reuters
• America's air monitors are disappearing. So is your power to expose polluters. — ABC17News.com
• Firefighters continue cleanup on Chileno Fire in Marin County as air quality improves — The Mercury News
• North Texas faces lingering drought and mid-90s heat despite brief rain break — FOX 4 News
• San Diego slips into autumn with deep worries about wildfire and El Niño — San Diego Union-Tribune
• Wildfire relief checks reach hundreds of Spokane residents — Spokane Spokesman-Review

Canairy aggregates publicly reported air-quality and wildfire news and summarizes it in plain English, with links to the original sources. This is educational information, not medical or emergency advice. In a wildfire or air-quality emergency, follow guidance from local authorities.