Three people are dead after a plane responding to a wildfire near Fort Simpson,the Northwest Territories-N.W.T, Canada, crashed on Wednesday evening.

N.W.T. Fire said in a news release Thursday afternoon that responders went to the crash site and confirmed the deaths.

"Our organization is grieving alongside the families, friends, colleagues, and the broader wildfire community as we process this unthinkable loss," Mike Westwick, the manager of wildfire prevention and mitigation, said in the release.

The plane involved was a fixed wing Turbo Commander 690 Bird Dog 104. Bird dog aircraft are small, typically single-engine planes that carry crew who direct air traffic near a fire and coordinate the airtankers.

In a Facebook post Thursday, Yellowknife-based Buffalo Airways said the crash involved one of its planes.

Source: CBC