Officials at scene of fatal plane crash in Okanogan County

A small plane plummeted to the ground Thursday afternoon in rural Okanogan County, catching fire and killing the pilot who was alone inside, officials said. Okanogan County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters found the fiery wreckage on Rise Road, about eight miles east of Oroville, while responding to four other brush fires in the area, Sheriff Frank Rogers said. Investigators aren’t sure what caused the other fires or if they all are related. Rogers said the fire burned off identifying marks that were on the plane, so investigators aren’t sure where the plane took off or where it was headed. They reported the crash to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board and are calling local airports, Rogers said. No other injuries or deaths have been reported.