MN wildfire: Man arrested for shooting firefighting plane
(Supplied)
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man has been arrested for allegedly firing a shot at a plane that was working to battle a raging wildfire in northern Minnesota over the weekend.
Fire bomber struck by bullet
The backstory:
St. Louis County deputies reported over the weekend a fire bomber plane had been hit by a bullet as it battled a wildfire in far northern Minnesota.
Deputies say crews responded to the fire in Portage Township around 4 p.m. on Friday. Portage Township is a rural town near the Canadian border. Authorities said the fire itself was about 15 miles north of Orr, Minnesota.
Local perspective:
Assisting with the firefight were two single-engine Air Tractor fire suppression aircraft from the Minnesota DNR. The planes worked for hours and, upon returning to the Hibbing Airport, the pilot noticed the plane had been struck by a bullet.
The aircraft landed safely and no one was injured.
Dig deeper:
Deputies initially said they believed the aircraft was struck as the crew was scooping water from Kjostad Lake.
On Monday, investigators announced the arrest of a 48-year-old Portage Township man. The man is being held in St. Louis County Jail on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, felony criminal damage to property, and second-degree assault.
FOX 9 is not yet identifying the suspect because he has not yet been officially charged with the incident.