Chopper crash kills pilot at Twin Peaks fire

Tom Gardner

Monday, Aug. 14, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Efforts to quench Nevada's wildfires have turned deadly again as a helicopter pilot was killed when his chopper crashed east of Fallon - the state's second helicopter death in 10 days.

The pilot, who was making water drops on the Twin Peaks blaze 50 miles east of Fallon, went down Sunday afternoon between Fallon and the Clan Alpine Mountains where the fire has consumed 38,310 acres. It was 45 percent contained.

The pilot was identified as Lester Shadrick, 53, of Lake Charles, La., an employee of ERA Aviation Inc., since 1985. ERA is based locally at the Reno-Stead airport 10 miles north of Reno.

Phillip Conner, 29, was killed Aug. 3 in a helicopter crash at the O'Neil complex in northeastern Nevada. It remains the largest wildland fire in the state but was in mopup Monday, 13 days after it began 25 miles southeast of Jackpot.

The Camp Fire - the last active part of the O'Neil complex - was 99 percent contained and the team that's been fighting it since the first of the month was demobilized at daybreak to get some much needed rest.

The nearby Chokecherry fire 14 miles east of Jackpot was nearing containment at 85 percent after burning 25,000 acres.

A new fire broke out on Saturday and quickly spread to 1,280 acres. Unlike the other fires, which were sparked by lightning, the Whiskey fire 15 miles south of Battle Mountain was human-caused. It was 20 percent contained.

Another new fire that began on Sunday had burned 600 acres 60 miles southwest of Winnemucca. There was no containment for the South Willow fire and no determined cause.

The Rabbit fire 43 miles southeast of Elko was thought to have been contained Aug. 5, but revived on Thursday to blacken 6,059 acres. Full containment was expected late Monday.

Another holdover blaze, the Cherry fire, has been burning 30 miles northwest of Ely for more than a month but is holding at 7,500 acres and is 75 percent contained with just one person keeping an eye on it.

The Parsnip fire 30 miles northeast of Caliente is holding at 2,010 acres and is 50 percent contained.

The Phillips Ranch fire 50 miles southeast of Ely held at 1,800 acres and 25 percent containment with four people on scene.

This year's fire season is being called the worst in the West in 50 years. So far in Nevada, 822 fires have burned 526,141. Nationally, 65,720 fires have destroyed 4.7 million acres.