Northern Wyoming plane crash causes fatalities, sparks wildfire

GILLETTE, Wyo. -- A plane crash in a remote area of northeastern Wyoming caused an unspecified number of fatalities and sparked a wildfire, authorities said Friday.

The plane crashed at about 1 p.m. north of the town of Gillette near the Wyoming state line, Campbell County officials said in a social media post. The number of fatalities was not immediately released.

A distress signal was sent out by the plane before the crash, Campbell County Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds told the Gillette News Record. Callers later reported seeing smoke columns rising into the air near the suspected crash site, he said.

The wildfire that resulted from the crash was being suppressed using aircraft, heavy equipment and engine crews, officials said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was dispatching a team to investigate, local officials said.

Federal investigators were not yet on the scene of the remote crash site as of Friday evening, NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway said. More information was expected to be released Saturday.

A spokesperson for Campbell County could not be reached immediately for further comment.