By The Blaze. Three American firefighters were killed in Australia while fighting the country’s ongoing wildfires on Thursday, when the air tanker they were flying in crashed. . .
The victims were crew members on Tanker 134, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules that was carrying retardant when it went down in New South Whales. Canadian-based private company Coulson Aviation, the owner of the aircraft, confirmed the tragedy in a news release.
The names of the fallen firefighters have not yet been released, but according to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed the tragedy in an email on Thursday.
“The wildland firefighting community is a family and when there is a loss it is felt throughout the entire organization,” the email said. “We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the fallen.”
New South Whales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said during a press conference, “Initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground. Unfortunately, all we’ve been able to do is locate the wreckage and the crash site. We have not been able to locate any survivors,” NBC News reported. (Read more from “Three U.S. Firefighters Killed While Battling Australia’s Wildfires” HERE)
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Destructive Hail and a Massive Dust Storm Descend on Fire-Ravaged Australia
By NPR. Australia’s southeast was already dealing with the terrible effects of historic bushfires and huge smoke clouds. Then Canberra, Melbourne and other places were hit by golf-ball-sized hail that destroyed car windshields, killed birds and shredded the leaves off trees.
The Bureau of Meteorology in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, warned residents of “damaging winds, large, possibly giant hailstones and heavy rainfall” as it issued severe thunderstorm warnings in the east and northeast.
The storms also prompted warnings of flash floods — adding another element of risk to areas that have been hit hard by the fires.
In the Australian Capital Territory, which includes the capital city of Canberra, the weather service reported hail Monday measuring up to nearly 2 inches in diameter — accompanied by wind gusts that were near hurricane-strength.
The storm was intense and fast-moving. The territory’s Emergency Services Agency reported receiving a record 1,900 calls for help — more than three times the average for a storm. All of those calls came in after midday, the agency said.
(Read more from “Destructive Hail and a Massive Dust Storm Descend on Fire-Ravaged Australia” HERE)
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