A pilot helping to fight a forest fire in Colorado, United States, died after the aircraft he was operating crashed into a reservoir on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Confirmation of the death and recovery of the body were released by local authorities.

The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of the fatal crash around 5:17 p.m. local time Sunday. The Gunnison Regional Communications Center received a call reporting the aircraft crashing into Silver Jack Reservoir, located in the southwestern part of the county.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that the aircraft was engaged in operations to combat the Gold Mountain Fire, which has been raging through the region since June 27.

In an initial statement on Sunday, authorities said they believed there was only one person on board the aircraft.

The condition of that person was not immediately known, which led to the dispatch of a dive team and other rescue resources to the scene.

More on this story: Ouray County battles vast Gold Mountain fire forcing evacuations, blocking roads

Later that same Sunday, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office announced that the Montrose County dive team had managed to recover the body of the aircraft’s pilot.

The official statement added that the pilot’s body would be taken to the medical examiner’s office in Gunnison, and the sheriff’s office would not release additional information until the pilot’s family was formally notified.

As of Monday morning, the Gold Mountain Fire had consumed more than 35,000 acres of vegetation and was only 13% contained, requiring extensive control efforts.

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The cause of the wildfire, which was initially reported northeast of Ouray County, Colorado, remained undetermined as of Monday.

On July 1, Colorado Governor Jared Polis reported that the state had received approval for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fire management assistance grant intended to support the response to the Gold Mountain Fire in Ouray County.

“I am deeply grateful to the hard-working and courageous firefighters who are risking their lives to protect us and keep our communities safe,” said Governor Polis.

The pilot’s death on Sunday followed an announcement from the U.S. Forest Fire Service that three firefighters had died and two others had been injured while battling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border in late June.

Learn more: Evacuation is ordered in Cundiyó, in the United States, after the advance of the Frijoles fire

The incident also comes as firefighters across Colorado continue to battle several large fires that have broken out in recent weeks.

Among them, the Ferris fire, in the southwest region of Colorado, stands out, which, as of Monday, had devastated more than 64 thousand acres and was 29% contained.

Evacuation orders were issued for some areas, and Governor Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency in response to the Ferris Fire on July 8, activating the state’s emergency operations plan.

Meanwhile, the Willow Fire, which burns west of Leadville and began June 28, was at 33% containment as of Monday, having burned more than 6,200 acres.

The Aspen Acres Fire, which started northwest of Rye in late June, had consumed 98,600 acres and was 36% contained as of Monday morning.