A wildland firefighting plane assigned to the Horse Gulch Fire crashed on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday and is centered about five miles south of York, and two miles north of Canyon Ferry.
The crash happened at about 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
Lewis & Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton says the crash happened in the Hauser Lake area of the Missouri River below the dam.
According to Dutton, the plane was contracted to the U.S. Forest Service and was scooping water at the time of the crash.
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Dutton says one person was aboard the plane; the man's condition is not yet known.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire has burned an estimated 450 acres and there is no containment.
At about 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office issued a pre-evacuation notice for the areas of Horse Gulch and Cave Gulch due to the fire. Please be aware of changing conditions and be prepared to evacuate.
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At this point, there are no reported injuries or damaged structures directly caused by the fire.
Dutton say the FAA and the NTSB have been notified and will lead the investigation.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but is believed to be "human-caused."
We will update you if we get more information.
