It’s a historic vision to restore close to 2.5 million acres along the Mogollon Rim.

NAZ Today’s Charlie hicks and videographer Ryan Maderic met with some of the people involved to find out more.

SAN CARLOS, Ariz. (AP) — A medical helicopter has crashed on Arizona’s San Carlos Indian reservation during a training flight and both people aboard were seriously injured, authorities said. There was no patient on the flight.

The pilot of the Eurocopter AS 350 lost control while trying to land at San Carlos’s Cutter airport around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor told KSAZ Fox Channel 10 in Phoenix.

Both people aboard were hospitalized with serious injuries, Bureau of Indian Affairs spokesman Warren Youngman said.

The helicopter belonged to EMS transportation provider Native Air, according to a report on KPNX-TV in Phoenix.

A spokesman for Native Air’s parent company, Joel Hochhalter, said helicopter, which departed from Williams Gateway Airport, is for training only and is not configured for medical transportation.

Hochhalter added the pilots’ injuries were not life-threatening.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash.

No other details were immediately available. Police on the San Carlos reservation refused to provide details and Associated Press calls to the FAA and BIA went unanswered early Thursday morning.

The San Carlos Apache Reservation is along U.S. 70 between Globe and Safford, in Gila County, about 60 miles east of Phoenix.

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Information from: KPNX-TV

Information from: KSAZ-TV

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

Spotter helicopter lands at Payson Airport (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

PAYSON– An evacuation order remains in effect for residents of Whispering Pines and for the Water Wheel Campground eight miles northeast of Payson this morning.  Officials still list the fire at  0% contained.  The Water Wheel Fire started near the Water Wheel Campground and was reported just before 2:00 pm Sunday afternoon..  The fire grew to 500 acres by 9:30 pm Sunday night.  The Red Cross and the Town of Payson set up the evacuation center at 4:30 pm Sunday afternoon at the Payson High School auxiliary gymnasium, according to Payson Police Chief Don Engler.  65 people checked into the evacuation center as of 7:30 pm.  “We’ll have a few officers around the gym here, in case anyone decides to stay tonight,” Engler said.  He says most people will likely stay with friends or in local hotels, but they are prepared nonetheless.

Local fire crews and police officers from towns around northern Gila County are still on the front lines at this hour, until relief arrives sometime this morning.  “We called in almost all of our volunteer force (to help with traffic control and closures) and several additional officers to help with the effort,” Chief Engler mentioned.  The Payson Fire Department has also called in several off-duty firefighters to cover for the engine companies that are out fighting the fire.

Message sign instructs evacuees to Payson HIgh School. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

Payson Police Lieutenant Donnie Garvin was one of the off duty officers called in to man the check points along Houston Mesa Road, which is closed to traffic at Freedom Acres, just over two miles from Water Wheel Campground, where the fire started.  “This is as far as anyone can come, unless they’re helping with the fire,” said Garvin.  “Freedom Acres is as close as you can get.”

Smoke settled in for the night over much of northern Gila County, including Pine, Strawberry, and Payson.  The size of the fire was listed at around 150 acres as of 5:30 pm Sunday, burning mostly in Ponderosa Pine trees.  Crews managed to get “two or three” slurry drops on the fire before dark Sunday, according to Chief Engler.  The cause of the fire is still listed as unknown.

A Type-2 Incident Management Team has been requested to assist with suppression efforts.  Two heavy air tankers, one helicopter, and 15 engines are currently on scene fighting the fire.

NAZ Today is actively tracking this fire– check back often for updates.

Police turn residents around at Freedom Acres (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)