ABC News is reporting that a military helicopter crashed about 9 p.m. Wednesday near Joint Base Lewis–McChord outside Olympia, the capital of Washington state.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it had responded to the scene of a helicopter crash near Summit Lake.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Nor was it clear whether any casualties had resulted from the wreck.

“This remains a developing situation, and no additional details are available at this time,” Scot Keith, a spokesperson for the base, told ABC News.

Sheriff Describes Fiery Crash Scene

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a Facebook post just before midnight Sept. 17 that first responders confirmed a helicopter had crashed near Summit Lake, a rural area west of Olympia and Joint Base Lewis–McChord.

“Deputies have located the crash site but have been unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire and is starting to overheat their footwear,” Sanders said.

Sanders said “special operation rescue units” were called to the scene, as well as King County’s Guardian 1 helicopter.

“We have been advised that the military lost contact with a helicopter in the area, and we are working closely with JBLM to deploy any resources needed to assist,” the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.

FAA Probe Begins

The Federal Aviation Administration told the USA TODAY it was investigating the crash. The paper reached out to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

What Is Joint Base Lewis-McChord?

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the Defense Department’s premier “military installation on the West Coast,” located in Washington’s Puget Sound region, according to the base’s website. The joint base began operations in 2010 from the combination of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base.

The base is used as a “training and mobilization center,” and its location gives the military access to the “deep-water ports of Tacoma, Olympia, and Seattle for deploying equipment,” according to the website.

“Units can be deployed from McChord Field, and individuals and small groups can also use nearby Sea-Tac Airport,” the website states. “The strategic location of the base provides Air Force units with the ability to conduct combat humanitarian airlift to any location in the world with the C-17A Globemaster III, the most flexible cargo aircraft in the airlift force.”

It is the home of I Corps and the 62nd Airlift Wing.

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Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Military helicopter crashes in Washington state, prompting special rescue operation
Reporting by Andre Byik, Kitsap Sun / Kitsap Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect