A pilot assisting firefighters battling the Gold Mountain fire in Colorado died after his aircraft crashed into a reservoir, authorities confirmed.
Crash and Recovery
The Gunnison County Sheriff's Office reported that the crash occurred at approximately 5:17 p.m. local time on Sunday. The regional communications center received a call about an aircraft going down in Silver Jack Reservoir in the southwestern part of the county.
Officials confirmed the aircraft was engaged in firefighting operations for the Gold Mountain fire, which has been burning since June 27. Initial reports indicated one person was on board, and a dive team was dispatched to the scene.
Later Sunday, the Montrose County Sheriff's Office Dive Team recovered the pilot's body from the aircraft. The body was taken to the coroner's office in Gunnison. The sheriff's office stated no further information would be released until the pilot's family was formally notified.
Gold Mountain Fire Status
As of Monday morning, the Gold Mountain fire had burned more than 35,000 acres and was 13% contained. Evacuation orders were issued for parts of southwestern Gunnison County. The cause of the wildfire, first reported northeast of Ouray County, remains undetermined.
On July 1, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced federal approval for a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant to support the Gold Mountain fire response. Polis expressed gratitude for the firefighters' efforts.
Recent Firefighter Fatalities
The pilot's death follows the announcement by the U.S. Wildland Fire Service that three firefighters were killed and two injured while responding to wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border in late June.
Other Active Wildfires
Firefighters across Colorado continue to battle several major wildfires. The Ferris fire in southwestern Colorado had burned over 64,000 acres and was 23% contained as of Sunday. Evacuation orders were issued, and Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency on July 8, activating the state emergency operations plan.
The Willow fire, west of Leadville and started on June 28, was 33% contained as of Sunday, burning 5,853 acres. The Aspen Acres fire, northwest of Rye, has burned 98,100 acres and was 35% contained as of Monday.
