A pilot fighting the Gold Mountain fire in Colorado died Sunday when his aircraft crashed into a reservoir in the state's southwestern region, authorities said.
The Gunnison County Sheriff's Office received a call around 5:17 p.m. reporting the plane down in Silver Jack reservoir. Rescue teams, including a dive crew from Montrose County, responded to the scene. The body was recovered later that day and transferred to the coroner's office in Gunnison.
The aircraft had been actively engaged in firefighting operations, according to the sheriff's office statement. The Gold Mountain fire ignited on June 27 and had burned more than 35,000 acres by Monday morning, with containment at 13 percent. Evacuation orders covered parts of southwestern Gunnison County.
The cause of the pilot's crash has not been disclosed. Colorado Governor Jared Polis had approved federal fire management assistance for the response on July 1, praising firefighters for their sacrifice. "I am deeply grateful for the hardworking brave firefighters putting their lives on the line to protect us and keep our communities safe," Polis said.
The death underscores the mounting toll of Colorado's wildfire season. Three firefighters were killed and two injured responding to blazes along the Colorado-Utah border in late June, according to the US Wildland Fire Service.
Multiple major fires continue burning across the state. The Ferris fire in southwestern Colorado had consumed more than 64,000 acres with 29 percent containment as of Monday. Polis declared a disaster emergency for that fire on July 8. The Willow fire west of Leadville, which began June 28, stood at 33 percent contained after burning 6,200 acres. The Aspen Acres fire north of Rye had scorched 98,600 acres and reached 36 percent containment.
Author James Rodriguez: "Wildfire season has become a grim reminder of what aerial firefighting demands, and this pilot's death adds to a season already marked by extraordinary sacrifice."
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