US Army helicopter carrying 4 service members crashes near Washington military base

Authorities are desperately searching for four Army soldiers after their Black Hawk helicopter crashed near a Washington military base Wednesday night.

The US Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a routine training mission around 9 p.m. Wednesday while carrying four service members with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, an Army official said in a statement.

Law enforcement and first responders have tried to reach the site, but were pushed back by a wildfire sparked by the crash that had grown to one acre by Thursday morning, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

It’s unclear if the soldiers were found or what condition they are in.

No details about the helicopter, besides its model, were released.

“This remains an active, ongoing situation,” the Army said.

The chopper went down near the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, just 10 miles south of Tacoma, under the jurisdiction of the US Army Joint Base Headquarters.

A spokesperson with the Army clarified that all efforts are “currently a search mission” with the “most professional and skilled addressing the situation.”

The search team included multiple local agencies, like the King County Guardian 1 helicopter and its special operations rescue units.

Deputies with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office were the first to respond to early reports of a possible helicopter crash near the base. The department said they were originally told that “the military lost contact with a helicopter in the area.”

Derek Sanders, Thurston County’s sheriff, said on Facebook that his deputies were able to reach the crash site but were “unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire.”

With Post wires