BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The pilot of a helicopter that was responding to a small wildfire in central Idaho before crashing in the Sawtooth National Forest survived and was able to hike to a waiting ambulance, officials said.
“Our pilot was on board and survived, and an investigation is underway,” U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Angela Hawkins said Friday morning. She said the agency was unable to immediately release any additional information, including what role the helicopter had been taking in the wildfire response.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook that the pilot was able to call 911 and that he was able to hike out with assistance to an ambulance that responded from the nearby town of Stanley.
The Forest Service and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, Hawkins said.
The helicopter incident came one day after a single-engine firefighting aircraft crashed into a reservoir near Helena, Montana, while scooping up water to fight a different blaze, killing the pilot. That crash is also under investigation.
The wildfire was burning near Redfish Lake, a popular camping and recreation area nestled in the scenic Sawtooth Mountains. Authorities evacuated a small campground on the southern end of the lake Thursday afternoon. On Friday evening, the U.S. Forest Service issued an emergency closure that includes the Redfish Lake recreation complex, including a lodge and other buildings, roads, trails, trailheads and campgrounds.
“We are letting folks know that the order is coming now in hopes of catching visitors before they head this direction,” Sawtooth National Recreation Area Ranger Kirk Flannigan said in a press release. “With the concentration of fuels in the Sawtooth Wilderness, the unusual weather pattern we’re experiencing right now, and the proximity of the fire to a very popular recreation destination, we believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
The fire danger rating for the Sawtooth National Forest was listed as high.
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