According to authorities, the pilot of the helicopter that was responding to a minor wildfire in central Idaho when it crashed in the Sawtooth National Forest managed to escape and made it to a waiting ambulance on foot. An investigation is ongoing, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesman Angela Hawkins, who made the announcement on Friday morning. “Our pilot was on board and survived.” She noted that the organization was unable to provide any more details right away, such as the role the helicopter had been playing in the wildfire response.
The pilot managed to dial 911 and managed to hike out to an ambulance that came from the adjacent town of Stanley, according to a post made by the Custer County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook. According to Hawkins, the event will be looked at by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Forest Service. The helicopter incident happened the day after a pilot died in a single-engine firefighting aircraft that crashed into a reservoir close to Helena, Montana, as the aircraft was scooping up water to fight another fire. The crash is being investigated as well. The Redfish Lake region, a well-liked camping and recreation spot tucked away in the picturesque Sawtooth Mountains, was the location of the wildfire, which was consuming less than tenth of a square mile, or roughly 0.16 square kilometers. A tiny encampment was evacuated by authorities.
Although no additional evacuations have been requested as of yet, Keri Morrell, a front desk clerk at Redfish Lake Lodge, stated that staff members at the resort were in communication with Forest Service officials. Some lodge guests congregated on the beach close to the lodge to watch firefighting planes fly above the lake. The Lodge is located approximately 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) from the evacuated campground. “It’s definitely hazy, but not as smoky as I expected,” Morrell stated. “I can still see Mount Heyburn from here.” When the fire will be contained is unknown to the U.S. Forest Service.
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