Emergency responders are on the scene of a helicopter crash near a military base in Washington state, an official confirmed early Thursday morning, Sept. 18.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Saunders said the chopper went down near Summit Lake, about 10 miles west of the city of Olympia, the state capital.

The scene is about 15 miles from Joint Base Lewis McChord.

A Thurston County Sheriff's Office dispatcher told USA TODAY the crash was reported at 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday local time.

It was not immediately known how many people were on board the aircraft or whether any casualties occured.

'The scene is on fire'

"The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and first responders are out with a confirmed helicopter crash near Summit Lake," the sheriff said. "Deputies have located the crash site b

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