Four special operations soldiers were aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Wednesday night in a rugged area of Washington state.

This is “currently a search mission” involving the “most professional and skilled addressing the situation,” Army representative Ruth Castro said, according to the Associated Press.

The Army has not released any comment about the conditions of the soldiers.

The MH-60 Black Hawk, assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was on what the Army called a routine training flight at the time of the crash, according to The New York Times.

The helicopter crashed at about 9 p.m. PT in the area around Summit Lake near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Army said.

A US Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

At least four service members were aboard.

Time: 9:00 PM (local)

The helicopter was on a routine training mission

Reports says that the crash sparked a small wildfire that had… pic.twitter.com/NYduOIkfqt

— Anmol (@anmol_kaundilya) September 19, 2025

Heavy forestation and the remoteness of the crash site hindered the response, Army officials said.

“It’s very rural, and it was hard to get to, and we don’t know what happened,” Lt. Col. Allie Scott, an Army representative, said Thursday. “There is so much unknown.”

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said it had found the scene of the crash after the base lost contact with the helicopter.

The Lacey Police Department said a drone it sent to the site on Thursday saw a brush fire burning.

“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,” Sheriff Derek Sanders of Thurston County said.

Sanders said a King County Guardian 1 helicopter was sent from the Seattle area to help in the search, according to Stars and Stripes.

The crash ignited a one-acre brush fire, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is about 10 miles south of Tacoma. The base is about 23 miles east of the crash site near Summit Lake. according to Newsweek.

According to the Seattle Times, a helicopter crash at the base in March 2024 left two pilots injured.

The Seattle Times report said, smoke from the crash was visible Thursday morning above the trees surrounding the site.

Carolyn Bothrack, an Army representative, said Thursday that the areas was “still an active crash site” and that it was not safe for anyone to approach it.

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