Helicopter crashes onto Northern California hillside

A helicopter with possibly three people on board crashed onto a hillside next to a Northern California freeway on Tuesday, igniting a small fire and knocking out power to about 38,000 utility customers, authorities said.

There was no immediate word on the conditions of the people aboard the Bell 206 helicopter.

The crash was reported around 1:30 p.m. by Interstate 80, midway between Fairfield and Vacaville. The helicopter caught fire after crashing, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

Footage from news helicopter cameras showed the wreckage was near electrical poles and wires. Some 38,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers were without power, said Solano County Sheriff’s Deputy Leron Cummings.

A fire truck responding to the blaze rolled over, sending three firefighters to the hospital with minor injuries, said CalFire spokesman Will Powers. He said the fire burned about 7 acres.

The FAA and National Transportation and Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.