GUNISON, Colo. (AP) — A plane helping fight a wildfire in Colorado crashed into a body of water, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The plane was reported to have crashed Sunday in Silver Jack Reservoir, and the pilot’s body was recovered by divers, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said online.
The pilot, believed to be the only person on board, was helping firefighters battle the two-week-old Golden Mountain fire, which has grown to about 57 square miles (148 square kilometers) in southwest Colorado. As of Monday morning, the virus level was 13%.
An email asking for more information about the crash was sent to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Last week, wildlife firefighters in Colorado gathered to pay tribute to three of them who died after being engulfed in a fire along the Colorado-Utah border.
Many large fires are still burning in the West. They are scattered across Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, and there are wildfires in eight other states from Alaska to Arizona.
Continued hot and dry weather this week will raise fire concerns, according to the National Weather Service.
Associated Press
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