Helicopter crash into Merrill Lake closes campground

Merrill Lake Campground is closed to the public until further notice after a helicopter used for firefighting crashed into the lake Wednesday.

The helicopter was dipping into the lake to pick up water to help fight the Kalama Fire when it crashed, according to U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Erin Black. The crash was at about 4 p.m. near the north end the lake, which is just north of Cougar.

The pilot escaped the crash uninjured and refused care from an ambulance, Black said.

A spill investigator from the Washington State Department of Ecology responded to the lake Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Black said the investigator observed a sheen on the water and estimated less than 200 gallons of jet fuel mixed with hydraulic fluid spilled into the lake. The department hasn’t yet released its report on the ecological impact to the lake.

Black said that the most recent update from responders indicated the helicopter would be removed from the lake today.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced the closure of the day use and boat launch areas Thursday so that the National Transportation Safety Board could investigate the crash, according to a department Facebook post.

The Aviation Safety Network said the helicopter, identified as a Bell 205A-1, was damaged beyond repair. The owner or operator is Kachina Aviation.