SALT LAKE CITY â€"  Authorities say two pilots were killed when their air tanker crashed while fighting a wildfire in western Utah.

Iron County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Jody Edwards tells the Salt Lake Tribune that sheriff's deputies were able to reach the plane after the Sunday afternoon crash. Edwards says they confirmed that the pilots had died.

The pilots, who were from Montana, were dropping retardant on the 5,000-acre White Rock Fire. Authorities say the air tanker went down at about 2 p.m.

The fire began burning Friday after a lightning strike.