A helicopter pilot died on Monday (24 August 2020) while fighting the White River Fires in Mount Hood National Forest.
About 20 miles east of Portland, Oregon, the pilot was flying a Type 1 Kmax and was dropping a bucket over rough terrain at the time of the accident.
The identity of the pilot has not been released.
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office and USDA air and ground resources responded immediately to the crash site, and an investigation into the cause of the crash is currently ongoing.
Fires allegedly caused by lightning on August 17th, the White River Fire has burned more than 1,200 hectares and 15% of which have been resolved.
Currently, more than 300 people are fighting the blaze, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
White River Fires and other Oregon wildfires rage alongside the state’s massive Indian River Fires.
The massive Indian River fire was caused by humans on August 16 and has burned nearly 50,000 acres, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
