Brown, Frohreich and another victim were taken to UC Davis Regional Burn Center in Sacramento, where two of them were listed in critical condition and the third was listed in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit, according to Carole Gan, a hospital spokeswoman.
"All of them have burns," Gan said, declining to provide additional information on their injuries or identities.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday, August 08, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 45 words Type of Material: Correction
Helicopter crash map: A map with an article in Thursday's Section A about the crash of a firefighting helicopter in Northern California that was believed to have killed nine people showed the crash at an incorrect location. A corrected map is on Page B5 today.
Dennis Hulbert, the U.S. Forest Service aviation director for California, notified the widow of a Forest Service employee who died in the crash.
"It's too early to know anything," he said, referring to the cause of the crash. "There are a lot of variables. There was a post-crash fire. It's still burning. It was horrific."
The crew was among 1,200 firefighters, assisted by nine helicopters, who were battling the Iron and Alps complex fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest that have burned 86,000 acres. Another firefighter assigned to the fires died late last month when he was hit by a falling tree. The lightning fire started June 21 and is 87% contained.
Schroeder said the crew was being transported back for rest because clouds were rolling in and they expected heavy lightning strikes. He said they were the third group to go out from that spot on Tuesday.
"This is a tragic day for firefighters everywhere," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a news conference. "We are praying for the swift recovery of all the victims, and our hearts go out to their loved ones."
The Sikorsky S-61 was owned by Carson Helicopters of Grants Pass, Ore., which describes itself as one of the largest firefighting helicopter contractors with the Forest Service and Department of the Interior.
In April, the FAA issued an "airworthiness directive" regarding Sikorsky S-model helicopters after one developed fatigue failures in the main rotor shaft. Carson Helicopters was among the companies alerted to the problem.
The FAA also outlined a list of actions to "prevent structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter."
Carson filed comments in May, saying it had been six months since the company had ordered some of the relevant parts from Sikorsky and they were expected to arrive this month.
According to a Times review of Forest Service records, Carson is one of several aviation companies regularly used by the agency to fight wildfires in California. From 2000 to 2007, the company was paid more than $10 million by the Forest Service for its work in the state.
