DINSMORE, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say the remains of four people were recovered from the wreckage of a small plane that crashed and burned in a wooded area of Northern California.

The single-engine Mooney M20J went down at midday Thursday near the Dinsmore Airport in Humboldt County.

The Sheriff’s Office says the victims were from Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Sacramento counties. The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Sheriff’s Office credits witnesses and nearby community members with attempting to help the victims and potentially preventing the flames from progressing into a wildfire.