Foresta, CA — Yosemite National Park Officials confirm an air tanker has crashed while battling the Dog Rock fire. The 130-acre vegetation fire is on the western side of the Park in the Foresta area.
Park Spokesperson Ashley Mayer says, “We can confirm a plane has crashed, but we do not know any other details.”
Cal Fire Spokesperson Daniel Berlant reports contact was lost with one of its air tankers flying over the fire. Emergency personnel are currently responding to the last known location of the aircraft. The status of the aircraft and the pilot has not been determined according to Berlant.
About 60 homes in the Foresta Park area have been evacuated. No structures have been affected or damaged by the flames at this time. Highway 140 is closed at the park entrance for all incoming and outgoing traffic. There is no estimate on when the road will reopen. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Updated at 6:20pm: CAL Fire reports that it was an S-2T air tanker.
This post was last modified on 10/07/2014 7:22 pm
Written by Tracey Petersen.
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