A pilot has died after a firefighting aircraft plunged into a reservoir in Colorado, authorities confirmed.
The Gunnison County sheriff’s office reported the aircraft went down Sunday in Silver Jack Reservoir. Divers were called in and successfully recovered the pilot’s body from the water.
Officials believe the pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. The plane had been deployed to support ground crews battling the Gold Mountain Fire, a blaze that has been burning for roughly two weeks in southwestern Colorado. The fire has now spread to approximately 57 square miles — or about 148 square kilometers — and was only 13% contained as of early Monday morning.
A request for additional details about the crash was submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration.
This tragedy comes just days after wildland firefighters across Colorado gathered to honor three fellow firefighters who lost their lives after being overtaken by flames near the Colorado-Utah border.
Across the western United States, numerous large wildfires continue to burn. Active fires are spread throughout Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, with additional blazes burning in eight other states stretching from Alaska to Arizona.
The National Weather Service has warned that prolonged hot and dry conditions expected this week will heighten fire weather concerns across the region.
