An army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in a field in central Texas on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, killing both people on board and igniting a wildfire that forced the evacuation of several homes, according to Bell County sheriff’s officials.

Officials from the nearby Fort Hood military base confirmed the crash. Cliff Coleman, spokesperson for the Bell County sheriff’s office, reported that both occupants died in the incident.

A military official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said the helicopter had been conducting a routine training flight near Fort Hood when it went down. Fort Hood’s criminal investigation division is leading the investigation into the crash.

Fort Hood is a large military installation spanning 214,968 acres (86,994 hectares) used to train and deploy heavy forces. The base has experienced previous tragedies, including a 2015 Black Hawk helicopter crash that killed four soldiers and a 2016 incident where nine soldiers died after their vehicle was swept away by a rain-swollen creek.

Brigadier General Ethan Diven, acting commanding general at Fort Hood, stated, “Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts. Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”