Small plane crash in Arizona kills 4, sparks wildfire

USPA News - A small plane crashed in northern Arizona on late Sunday afternoon, killing all four people on board and sparking a wildfire in Coconino National Forest, local authorities said on Monday. It was not immediately known who the plane belonged to.

The incident was first reported shortly before 4 p.m. local time on Sunday when hikers in the Bear Mountain area of Sedona reported seeing a possible plane crash and fire. Emergency responders located the wreckage of the single-engine aircraft shortly after 6 p.m., in the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness area of Fay Canyon, northeast of Bear Mountain. "Crews from the Sedona Fire District and United States Forest Service (USFS) arrived to assess and begin working the fire," said Dwight D`Evelyn, a spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff`s Office. "Initial attempts to locate a downed planed were unsuccessful, even by flyover. Witnesses believe the fire resulted from the plane crash although they did not have a line of sight view." D`Evelyn said ground crews later confirmed four people on board the aircraft were killed after the wreckage had been located. No injuries were reported on the ground. "Access to the crash site is currently difficult due to the terrain and fire," the spokesman explained. Brady Smith, a spokesman for Coconino National Forest, said the most active parts of the fire were in the south and east sections, while its progression to the north and west was slow. He said the size of the wildfire was approximately 25 acres (10.1 hectares) by late Sunday, with 0 percent containment. Approximately 30 personnel, including two helicopters, two fire engines, one fuel crew, and Sedona Fire, were fighting the blaze late at night, according to Smith. Additional resources planned for Monday included one hotshot crew and three helicopters. The spokesman said pinyon-juniper, heavy brush and mixed conifer were fueling the fire. The smoke from the fire was moving in a northwestern direction and combining with smoke from the Willard Fire-a-fire between Oak Creek Canyon and Interstate 17, which is being managed for resource purposes, according to Smith. Smoke from both fires was visible from Sedona, Flagstaff, neighboring communities, and those driving on I-17, State Routes 89, 89A and 179. D`Evelyn said there had been no evacuations as of early Monday.