A plane helping battle wild fires in Australia crashed in New South Wales state Thursday, killing three American firefighters. According to the reports, the three are 44-year-old Capt. Ian McBeth of Great Falls, Montana, who was piloting the downed C-130 plane; First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, age 42, of Buckeye, Arizona; and 43-year-old Flight Engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr., who lived in Navarre, Florida.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths. “My deepest condolences to the loved ones, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. Such a terrible tragedy,” he wrote.