CARSON CITY, NV (FOX5) -
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval issued a statement following two separate U.S. Forest Service aircraft incidents, one of which included the deaths of two crew members.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Gov. Sandoval said:
"Within a matter of hours this afternoon, planes carrying two U.S. Forest Service crews crashed while fighting Nevada fires. Currently, we know of one successful emergency landing in Minden and one potentially far more serious crash Northeast of Pioche. The thoughts and prayers of all Nevadans are with the firefighters, the plane crews and all of their families."
The air tanker crash outside Pioche involved an aircraft dropping fire retardant on a wildfire in southwestern Utah near the Nevada border early Sunday. Authorities in Utah said crew members Capt. Todd Tompkins and First Officer Ronnie Chambliss died in the crash.
The other crash outside Lake Tahoe involved an emergency landing of a Forest Service airplane. No fatalities were reported in that incident.
Berkley offers condolences in wildfire crashes
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-NV, released the following
statement regarding two separate crashes this weekend involving air tankers
engaged in battling wildfires in or near Nevada:
"We mourn the tragic loss of two pilots who were killed
this weekend when their plane crashed in Utah while battling a blaze near
Lincoln County. I extend my deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those
who lost their lives in this tragedy and my thoughts are with the families of
the victims and all those who have been affected. I am also thankful that
no lives were lost in a second incident involving an emergency landing by a
tanker crew at the Minden-Tahoe airport. These two incidents taking place
on the same day remind all Nevadans that we owe thanks, and a sincere debt of
gratitude, to the brave men and women willing to risk their lives fighting
dangerous wildfires."
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