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U.S. NEWS Friday 18 august 2017
Search continues for 5 on Army helicopter missing off Hawaii

said Lt. Col. Curtis Kellogg, currents moving in different area at the time.
a spokesman for the 25th directions converge. The soldiers were training at
Infantry Division. The Army Officials closed the state night to maintain the skills
has notified the soldiers’ park at Kaena Point while they need to do their jobs,
families, Kellogg said. the search was underway. Kellogg said.
“As we do this work, the Kaena is a rugged spot “Our aviation assets, as well
soldiers and their families where Oahu’s northern as all of our soldiers, train at
are in the forefront of our and western coasts meet night. It’s what we do,” he
minds. That’s what we’re to form a small peninsula. said. They need these skills
doing this for,” Kellogg said. The park’s sandy coastline to accomplish their war-
Honolulu Fire Department is home to a seabird colony time mission, Kellogg said.
search and rescue crews and endangered Hawai- The two helicopters are ele-
found and collected piec- ian monk seals. ments of the 25th Combat
es of helicopter fuselage A Coast Guard plane, two Aviation Brigade based in
and a helmet in a debris helicopters and several Hawaii.
field about 2 miles (3 kilo- boats were being used in The UH-60 Black Hawk is a
In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, a Response Boat- meters) off Kaena Point the search. The Army and four-bladed, twin-engine
Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu conducts early Wednesday. Photos Marine Corps joined the utility helicopter manufac-
a search for five crew members aboard a downed Army UH-60 showed Army soldiers un- effort, as did Honolulu fire- tured for the Army by Sikor-
Black Hawk helicopter approximately two miles west of Kaena loading debris from the fire- fighters and lifeguards. sky Aircraft starting in the
Point, Oahu, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017.
(PO 2nd Class Tara Molle/U.S.C.G. photo via AP) fighters’ boat and personal Two Black Hawk crews 1970s.
watercraft at the harbor were conducting training More than 3,000 Black
By AUDREY McAVOY a remote area northwest of in the nearby town of Ha- between Kaena Point and Hawk aircraft are in ser-
Associated Press Honolulu where the UH-60 leiwa. Dillingham Airfield when vice around the world, ac-
HONOLULU (AP) — Rescu- Black Hawk disappeared The search later moved to communications were lost, cording to Sikorsky’s par-
ers on Thursday continued late Tuesday. A second an area about 5 miles (8 officials said. Clouds and ent company Lockheed
searching the ocean off Black Hawk lost visual and kilometers) offshore where a few showers were in the Martin.q
Hawaii for five soldiers miss- radio contact with the miss-
ing since their Army heli- ing helicopter while they
copter went down during were flying.
nighttime training. Two pilots and three crew
Crews searched waters off members were on board,

Wildfire leading to more

evacuations in Montana

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A evacuation order affect-
month-old wildfire flared ed. Ravalli County depu-
up in western Montana, ties were going door-to-
forcing the evacuation door and asking people
of hundreds more homes to leave on Thursday after-
and devouring another noon, Sheriff Steve Holton
large chunk of forest as told KGVO-AM.
the drought-stricken state Hundreds of other residents
struggles with one of its in areas along U.S. Highway
worst wildfire seasons in 93 and U.S. Highway 12
years. Fires burning across had been warned to pre-
the west include one pare for evacuation.
threatening 400 homes The Lolo Peak Fire has
near an Oregon town with- burned 23.5 square miles
in the path of Monday’s to- (61 square kilometers) of
tal solar eclipse and anoth- timber. No homes have
er near Yosemite National been reported burned. A
Park. Hot Shot firefighter working
The glow from the flare- on the fire — 29-year-old
up Wednesday night and Brent Witham of California
early Thursday near the — died on Aug. 2 when he
community of Lolo in west- was hit by a falling tree.
ern Montana was visible A report released Thursday
from the airport in Missoula, shows drought across the
about 20 miles north of the entire state of Montana,
blaze, said fire information with two-thirds of the state
officer Jordan Koppen. in “severe” drought condi-
Just over 500 homes had tions — or worse. Drought
been evacuated by Thurs- conditions in an area
day morning, but addi- around Fort Peck Reservoir
tional evacuations were of northeastern Montana
ordered in Missoula and are rated as exceptional,
Ravalli counties at noon. with crops and livestock
Officials did not know how languishing under parched
many homes the mid-day conditions. q