Search and rescue operations continue in Eastern Oregon following the disappearance of a single-engine air tanker that vanished yesterday evening while engaging a wildfire. According to KOIN 6 News, the aircraft was operating in the Malheur National Forest near Seneca when it lost contact. Efforts to locate the missing tanker and its crew, the size of which was still unclear, were still ongoing at the time of this report.
As the firefighting community holds its breath, details emerge on the tanker’s mission against a lightning-sparked inferno dubbed the Falls Fire. Thomas Kyle-Milward, the spokesperson for the Northwest Incident Management Team 8, informed OregonLive that the plane was on contract by the Bureau of Land Management. After the aircraft went missing shortly before 7 p.m., a comprehensive search ensued, mobilizing resources including the National Guard, who employed night-vision aids in their overnight sweep.
Friday morning's search efforts continued with heightened urgency as local firefighters joined forces with deputies from Harney and Grant County sheriff's offices. "Search efforts began immediately and will resume today," read a statement on Facebook, captured in an article by Statesman Journal.
