JOHN DAY — The body of a pilot who died when his air tanker went down while battling wildfires in Eastern Oregon was escorted to a John Day mortuary on Friday, July 26, by an impromptu funeral procession.

In a joint news release Friday afternoon, the Forest Service and Grant County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the pilot’s death but did not release the aviator’s identity.

“It’s with deep sadness that we share the death of a member of the wildland firefighter community following the conclusion of search efforts for a BLM-contracted single-engine air tanker (SEAT),” the news release stated.

“The SEAT and its pilot went missing last night while working in the vicinity of the Falls Fire. The fire was a new lightning start near Seneca, Oregon, on the Malheur National Forest.”

The release went on to state that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are working with local law enforcement officials to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.

Official vehicles, some with their emergency lights flashing, lined a stretch of Highway 395 in John Day across the from Driskill Memorial Chapel early Friday afternoon as firefighters and law enforcement personnel stood respectfully with their hats off.

State troopers blocked traffic on the normally busy road as an ambulance bearing the pilot’s body delivered its burden to the funeral home.

A single-engine air tanker had been reported missing over the fire zone on Thursday evening.

The Aviation Safety Network website reported that an Air Tractor AT-802A owned by Wakefield Aircraft with one person aboard crashed near Seneca Thursday night while on a firefighting flight.

In a statement on X, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, called the pilot’s death “a tragic example of the risks that all firefighters take every day to keep Oregonians safe in our homes and communities,” adding: “My deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the pilot who sacrificed his life battling this fire in Eastern Oregon.”

The Falls Fire broke out July 10 near the Falls Campground on the Malheur National Forest in northern Harney County. It has since grown to more than 140,000 acres and has spread into southern Grant County.

As of Friday morning, 1,558 personnel from multiple agencies were battling the blaze, which was 55% contained.

The Telephone Fire, burning a few miles to the east, has now grown to 12,000 acres. Several smaller fires are also burning in the area, including some started by lightning in recent days.

The Falls Fire is believed to have been human-caused. Forest Service investigators are asking for the public’s assistance in the matter. Information that could aid the investigation can be submitted to SM.FS.R6TipHotLine@usda.gov.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.