UPDATE: According to KPAX news, one of the men killed in the firefighting plane crash in Australia was a Great Falls man who was a member of the Air National Guard.

A gigantic wildfire continues to engulf the continent of Australia. Just recently, US Wildland Firefighters made their way "down under," to aid in battling the flames. Sadly, the fire has claimed its first US casualties.

According to the official press release from Coulson Aviation, the firefighters were killed when a C-130 Hercules crashed near a wildlife sanctuary in New South Wales.