Two helicopter pilots have died after their aircraft crashed while battling a wildfire in Utah, officials confirmed on Saturday. The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down on Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.
The helicopter was part of a fleet fighting the Widemouth 2 fire in Fishlake National Forest. The crash ignited a new fire that merged with the existing blaze, which has now scorched nearly 174 square miles (451 square kilometers).
Pilots Employed by Helicopter Transport Services
Officials did not release the names of the pilots but stated they were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, a company contracted by the US Forest Service. Initially, crews could not reach the crash site due to the fire's intensity. On Saturday, they managed to enter the area and confirmed the deaths, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner.
The Widemouth 2 fire has burned through more than 114,600 acres (46,400 hectares) and was 24% contained as of Saturday. This marks a significant increase from Friday morning when the fire's scope was reported at over 105,000 acres, according to state data.
Crash Ignites New Fire, Compromising Access
The helicopter's crash sparked a new fire, state authorities said at a news conference on Friday evening. The accident site lies within the fire's perimeter. "Ground resources attempted to respond immediately, but access to the scene was compromised by the emergent fire," the US Forest Service wrote in a Saturday statement. "Without a safety zone, the Incident Management Team determined not to place lives at risk until the area is deemed safe."
Federal officials advised the public to avoid speculating on the crash's cause while search-and-rescue teams awaited safer conditions. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were en route to Richfield, a city roughly 160 miles (250 km) south of Salt Lake City, as of Friday. Once they reach the site, they will document the scene before retrieving the aircraft. The NTSB investigation is expected to take a year or more to determine the cause.
Deadly Wildfire Season in the Western US
The western United States has faced a deadly wildfire season. In June, three firefighters died battling a blaze along the Colorado-Utah border. A fourth firefighter later succumbed to burn injuries sustained during the emergency response.
