EDIS Number: VI-20140721-44608-USA
Date / time: 21/07/2014 03:48:08 [UTC]
Event: Vehicle Accident
Area: North-America
Country: USA
State/County: State of Arizona
Location: [Fay Canyon, Near to Sedona]
Number of Deads: 4 person(s)
Number of Injured: N/A
Number of Infected: N/A
Number of Missing: N/A
Number of Affected: N/A
Number of Evacuated: N/A
Damage level: Minor
Description:
Four people are reported dead after a single-engine plane crashed in rough terrain four miles northwest of Sedona, sparking a wildfire in Fay Canyon, Coconino National Forest officials said. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said hikers reported a small plane had crashed into the side of Mogollon Rim about 3 p.m. Sunday. It's not known yet what caused the plane to crash. Coconino National Forest spokesman Brady Smith estimated the Fay Fire had blackened at least 25 acres so far. Smith said about 30 personnel are battling the wildfire, which is burning in the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness area of Fay Canyon. Four Hotshot crews, three engines, two helicopters, an air attack unit and Sedona fire units are battling the fire. Smith said the fire is currently moving to the north, and smoke is following the same path as the Willard Fire, which is being managed for resource purposes. He added that smoke will be visible to people driving on Interstate 17 and in surrounding areas such as Williams, Flagstaff and Sedona. "I was just driving by the canyon area and saw a plume of smoke," said Mitch Heider, who was passing by. He talked to the hikers, who told him a plane had crashed. No structures are threatened and no evacuations have been reported. "All you could see was a quick plume of smoke went up, and from there, it got larger," Heider said. No other details were immediately available.
