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    1. Operations & Training
    2. Wildland

    Pilot Killed in Plane Crash While Assisting at Helena, MT, Wildfire

    July 11, 2024
    The pilot of the Air Tractor 802 had just retrieved water for the Horse Gulch Fire when it crashed into a lake.

    The pilot of an Air Tractor 802 plane was killed Wednesday afternoon after retrieving water from Hauser Lake.

    The body of the 45-year-old woman was recovered Wednesday evening, NBC Montana reported. 

    Authorities have not announced the pilot's name, but said she was from another country.

    She was flying the plane, based out of Idaho, that was loaned to the U.S. Forest Service. 

    The pontoon legs from the underside of the plane were visible at the lake along with a stench of fuel. 

    Many residents had been evacuated from the area as the Horse Gulch fire was fanned by heavy wind. 

    About the Author

    Susan Nicol | News Editor

    Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues. 

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