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Final farewell: Firefighter killed in Montgomery County helicopter crash honored

HOUSTON – A final farewell was held Wednesday for a firefighter who was killed in March when a helicopter crashed in Montgomery County.

Dozens of members from the USDA Forest Service Honor Guard and local law enforcement honored forest service firefighter Daniel Laird with a special procession from Conroe to Bush Intercontinental Airport.

A final farewell was held Wednesday for a firefighter who was killed last month, when a helicopter crashed in Montgomery County.

Laird was one of three people on the helicopter at the time of the crash.

According to authorities, the helicopter had been contracted by the United States Forest Service to help with a controlled burn operation in the Sam Houston National Forest. 

The pilot, Morgan J. Kozloski, and a passenger, Kelly Callahen, were injured. Laird will be buried in California, where his family is from.

A final farewell was held Wednesday for a firefighter who was killed last month, when a helicopter crashed in Montgomery County.

Jesse Snyder, who was visiting the running trails in the area, said he has seen smoke from controlled burns create low visibility.

"They’re usually pretty safe, so it’s a rare tragedy. It could be a really dangerous job, what they do, I’m sure. Just driving down the road, it gets thicker than fog sometimes," Snyder said.

Officials said the helicopter crashed under “unknown circumstances” around 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, near the intersection of Bethel Road and FM 149, an area close to one of the controlled burns, authorities said.


About the Author
Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli headshot

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.