An Air Tractor water bomber plane fighting forest fires in northern Alberta crashed 100 kilometres east of Lac La Biche on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range on Friday, according to RCMP.

The sole occupant of the plane, a 38-year-old pilot from Cranbrook, B.C., whose name has not been released and who was in his fourth firefighting season with Conair Aerial Firefighting, died in the incident.

His body was recovered with help from Department of National Defence Search and Rescue.

Transportation Safety Board investigators are on route to the crash site to determine the cause.

According to an RCMP release, wildfire conditions in the area are making access to the crash site difficult, but the scene has been secured for the TSB investigators.