3 Americans dead in plane crash while fighting Australia wildfires

Three Americans aboard a C-130 Hercules water tanker aircraft died Thursday when their plane crashed in New South Wales, Australia, during a firebombing mission. Coulson Aviation in Oregon said one of its flying tankers was lost in an "extensive" accident after it took off from Richmond, New South Wales, to drop fire retardant on Australia's raging wildfires.

"The only thing I have from the field reports are that the plane came down, it's crashed, and there was a large fireball associated with that crash," said Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "Unfortunately, all we've been able to do is locate the wreckage and the crash site and we have not been able to locate any survivors," and "there is no indication at this stage of what's caused the accident." Coulson said that until the cause of the crash is determined, it has grounded its other firefighting aircraft, removing a powerful tool from the firefighting arsenal in southeastern Australia.

The death of the three U.S. crew members brings the number of fatalities from Australia's wildfires to at least 31 since September. The fires have also scorched an area larger than Indiana and destroyed more than 2,600 homes so far.

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