A pilot flying an air tanker assisting with the Falls Fire in Oregon was found dead after the plane he was flying was reported missing. The Bureau of Land Management had contracted with the pilot for the single-engine air tanker. The plane was reported missing on Thursday and was later found with the help of a rescue team, but the pilot was already deceased. The identity of the pilot will be released later by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The Falls Fire has burned over 140,000 acres and is 55 percent contained as of Friday afternoon. The crash occurred near Seneca, Oregon, in the Malheur National Forest. The Oregon National Guard was called in to assist in the search for the missing plane. The tragic incident highlights the dangers faced by pilots and emergency responders working to contain wildfires.
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Pilot of missing air tanker fighting Oregon wildfire discovered deceased
