One of the air tankers fighting a forest fire in Hope Valley crashed on takeoff from Reno-Stead Airport, killing its crew.
According to the Associated Press, the P2V Neptune was loaded for one more flight at about 6:09 p.m. when witnesses said it lost a piece of its engine or a wing before catching fire and crashing.
The tankers' support was credited for progress made on the 204-acre Burnside fire on Monday. Crews built fire lines around half of the fire on Monday.
"Good progress was made today on the fire due to favorable weather and air support," Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center spokeswoman Marnie Bonesteel said. "Structure protection continues although the threat has been minimized."
The names of the crew members have not been released, the Associated Press reported.
An evacuation of several resorts, campgrounds and homes has been lifted by the Alpine County Sheriff's Office. A twisted knee sidelined the second firefighter to be injured during the fire.
The fire started at 4:06 p.m. Sunday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
