YELLOWKNIFE — Three people are dead after a plane fighting wildfires went down in the Northwest Territories.

Mounties said the Turbo Commander 690, used as a bird dog plane, crashed Wednesday night about 50 kilometres from Fort Simpson, west of Yellowknife.

A bird dog plane is used as an airborne command centre to co-ordinate firefighting operations.

Police said three people were on board, and no survivors were found at the site. Mounties were assisting in recovering the bodies.

“The RCMP would like to express their sincere condolences to the families and community members affected by this tragic accident,” the force said Thursday in a news release.

It said the territory’s coroner service is part of the investigation. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada also said it had deployed a team of investigators.

Mike Westwick, a spokesman for N.W.T. Fire, said it learned of the crash after the plane was reported overdue.

Buffalo Airways said in a Facebook post that it was operating a Turbo Commander 690 on Wednesday that was involved in an incident.

In a later post, it said one of its aerial firefighting pilots died while fighting a blaze west of Fort Simpson.

“Alongside the (N.W.T.) Dept of Environment and Climate Change, we are mourning heroes who were fighting in the line of duty,” the airline said.

“In the coming days we will honour our fallen in close consultation with their family.”

N.W.T. Fire said the plane had been supporting wildfire suppression on a fire in the Marten Hills area.

The territorial government’s website says the out-of-control fire began Tuesday and that the naturally caused blaze was about one square kilometre in size.

In a post on social media, N.W.T. Fire said it’s grieving along with family, friends, colleagues and the broader wildfire community.

“We will honour those who lost their lives in the line of duty at the appropriate time and in accordance with the wishes of their families,” the agency said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney also offered condolences Thursday.

“My thoughts are with the families of the pilot and two firefighters who died in the plane crash near Fort Simpson,” he said on social media.

“Protecting Canadians from wildfires requires profound sacrifice and courage. We owe them our deepest gratitude.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2026.

The Canadian Press