A firefighting aircraft working the Gold Mountain fire crashed into Silver Jack Reservoir east of Cimarron Ridge on Sunday afternoon, according to local authorities. The plane went into the water while crews battled the wildfire north of Ouray, and officials said at least one crewmember was believed to be on board, though that person’s condition was still unknown late into the night. A great search-and-recovery effort, including a dive team, was underway on the reservoir as smoke and active firefighting continued in the area.
The Gunnison County Sheriff's Office said in a late-night statement that the crash was reported shortly after 5 p.m. and that a dive team from the Montrose County Sheriff's Office was assisting with recovery operations, according to Colorado Public Radio. The outlet reported that the aircraft went down in Silver Jack Reservoir, a heavily used recreation spot east of Cimarron Ridge.
The call came in to the Gunnison regional communications center at about 5:17 p.m., and officials confirmed the aircraft had been assigned to firefighting operations on the Gold Mountain fire, The Denver Post reported. County and federal aviation authorities were expected to take part in the investigation, and as of Sunday night officials had not yet publicly identified the type of aircraft involved.
Fire status and context
The Gold Mountain fire started on June 27 about two miles north of Ouray and has scorched tens of thousands of acres. Incident information pages listed the burn area at more than 35,000 acres and containment at roughly 13% as of Sunday evening, according to InciWeb. Fire crews had focused resources on protecting nearby communities and popular recreation spots north of the fire, including Silver Jack Reservoir.
A large response
Even before the crash, local and federal teams were stretched across several major wildfires in the region. The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 reported that more than 1,000 personnel had been assigned to the Gold Mountain fire response, according to The Denver Post. To support firefighting efforts and keep the public out of harm’s way, the Bureau of Land Management expanded temporary closures of public lands around the fire, including areas surrounding Silver Jack Reservoir, BLM officials said.
What investigators say
Authorities said the cause of the crash remained under investigation and urged people to stay away from the reservoir area while search and recovery work continues, according to Colorado Public Radio. Officials also reminded the public that a Temporary Flight Restriction and no-drone orders are in effect over the incident area to protect both fire crews and investigators.
Both the crash and the ongoing wildfire have triggered evacuations, sheltering operations, and road closures in Ouray County and neighboring areas as crews work to defend homes and critical infrastructure, according to incident updates and postings on InciWeb. Officials are urging residents to monitor local alerts and the Gold Mountain fire hotline for the latest instructions and evacuation information.
