TAVERNIER, Fla. – An air ambulance caught fire Friday morning as it was landing for a rescue in the Florida Keys.
The helicopter was en route to Coral Shores High School when it caught fire during landing about 7 a.m., Monroe County spokeswoman Cammy Clark said.
The patient on board was taken by ambulance to nearby Mariners Hospital and airlifted by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a mainland hospital.
No injuries were reported.
Clark said the fire caused substantial damage to the 35-year-old Trauma Star helicopter, which is the oldest in Monroe County's fleet. She said the backup helicopter, which had just undergone its annual maintenance as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, was being used because the second helicopter was out of service.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.