Two people are dead after a military helicopter crashed in Central Texas on Wednesday, August 12, about 51 miles north of Austin along Interstate 35, according to the Bell County Sheriff’s Office.
Local news reports say the crash was reported around 2 p.m. The crash sparked a small grass fire, according to CBS affiliate station KWTX in Waco.
Salado Fire-Bell County ESD #1 said in a Facebook post at 2:41 p.m. that it is responding to a grass fire on Farm-to-Market Road 2843 near the reported crash site. First responders said the roadway is impassable, and drivers should avoid the area.
Some local news outlets have suggested that the aircraft is linked to the Fort Hood military base, about 30 miles away from the crash site. A Fort Hood representative reportedly told a Tegna affiliate that they are “looking into it.”
Whether the helicopter struck any other structures in the area is unknown at this time.
This is a developing story. Check in with MySA for updated details as they become available.