Three people were involved in a plane crash on Wednesday night, approximately 50 km from Fort Simpson, west of Yellowknife, while fighting wildfires. The incident occurred in the Marten Hills area, where a blaze was raging out of control.
The aircraft, a Turbo Commander 690, was operating as a bird dog during wildfire operations, coordinating suppression efforts. The plane was operated by Buffalo Airways, a local airline that specializes in aerial support services.
The incident has been confirmed by the Northwest Territories (NWT) Fire department, which stated that the serious incident involving the aircraft was a crash. Three people were on board at the time of the incident, but none are believed to have survived.
The RCMP has reached the crash site and is currently investigating the incident, with a team from the Transportation Safety Board also involved. Buffalo Airways has stated that it is working closely with the authorities to support the investigation.
The fire, which began on Tuesday, is located in the Dehcho region and is approximately 100 hectares in size. The blaze was described as "out of control" by the territorial government, which has deployed firefighting crews to combat the blaze.
