BURNS, OR -- (2 p.m. UPDATE) BLM officials confirm the missing airtanker was found Friday morning by a Grant County Search and Rescue team. The pilot, whose identity has not been released, was found deceased in the wreckage.
The plane was based out of Burns, contracted seasonally by the BLM.
(9:30 a.m.) A Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) went missing Thursday, while working on a new lightning start near the Falls Fire. The plane was contracted by the Bureau of Land Management. Authorities say search efforts began immediately and continue Friday, but have released no other details.
SEATs are the smallest airtankers used for wildland fires. They can deliver up to 800 gallons of retardant or water. Previous reports indicate SEAT planes hold just one person; the pilot.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a statement Friday morning saying, "The dangers of fighting fires are constant and this developing news story from Eastern Oregon is a painful reminder of that fact. Let's all take a moment to think about the people in this air tanker and hope for a positive outcome."
The Falls Fire is estimated to be 55% contained, at 140,422 acres, as of Friday morning. It started July 10th and has destroyed more than a dozen homes. Over 1,800 others are threatened. Officials say it was human caused.
file photo courtesy of the National Interagency Fire Center
