A pilot and a crew member were confirmed dead after their firefighting helicopter crashed while battling a major wildfire in central Utah.
The Sikorsky S-64 'Skycrane' helicopter, operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the U.S. Forest Service, went down around 10 a.m. Friday (16:00 GMT) near the city of Richfield, at the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of the city, near the southeastern edge of the Widemouth 2 fire.
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed the fatalities on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the incident, stating that two crew members had been "fatally injured" and offering condolences to the victims' families and friends.
In its situation report, the NIFC said extreme fire conditions and steep terrain prevented rescue teams from reaching the site. The bodies were recovered on Saturday, but the victims' identities have not been released.
The NIFC issued evacuation orders for area residents and imposed road closures.
Incident commander deputy Tyler Hecht said on Friday that fire crews paused to regroup after the crash before continuing firefighting operations.
"This will not change how we operate," Hecht said. "We will continue to fight fire and use aircraft to support firefighters on the ground."
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called wildland firefighting "one of the most dangerous jobs in the world" and urged residents to pray for the downed crew.
Utah State Police organized a procession on Saturday evening to escort the bodies of the two "fallen heroes."
The Widemouth 2 fire was sparked by lightning in Fishlake National Forest on July 27 and has burned more than 111,000 acres (about 45,000 hectares), making it the largest wildfire in Utah this year.
Officials reported 24% containment as of Saturday, with extreme fire behavior—including crown fires and long-range spotting—still threatening nearby communities.
This is the second deadly wildfire incident in Utah this summer. Three firefighters were killed in June while battling the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado border. A fourth firefighter later died from injuries in that incident.
