GILLETTE, Wyoming — A plane crash in a remote area of northeastern Wyoming has caused an unknown number of deaths and sparked a wildfire, authorities said Friday.
The plane crashed around 1 p.m. north of the town of Gillette, near the Wyoming state line, Campbell County officials said in a social media post. The death toll was not immediately available.
A distress signal was sent by the plane before the crash, Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Quentin Reynolds told the Gillette News Record. Callers later reported seeing columns of smoke rising into the air near the suspected crash site, he said.
The wildfire that resulted from the crash was brought under control with the help of aircraft, heavy equipment and engine crews, authorities said.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate, local officials said.
Federal investigators were not yet on scene Friday evening, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said. More information was expected Saturday.
A Campbell County spokesperson could not immediately be reached for further comment.
