Helicopter fighting Utah wildfire crashes with two people onboard, officials say

A firefighting Sikorsky S64 helicopter carrying two people crashed Friday morning in a remote part of central Utah, according to federal aviation authorities. The U.S. Forest Service initially withheld comment on the condition of the passengers, requesting public patience while response efforts were prioritized.

Emergency personnel are responding to the incident near Richfield, approximately 160 miles south of Salt Lake City. The precise circumstances leading to the crash remain unknown. The terrain is described as extremely difficult, and rescuers have faced challenges reaching the crash site, partly because the impact ignited a new fire.

The crash occurred near the Widemouth 2 fire, which was sparked by lightning and has burned through more than 105,000 acres since July 27. As of Friday morning, the fire was 19% contained, with 632 personnel working to suppress it and seven helicopters deploying retardant and water. This fire is one of eight large blazes currently burning across Utah, collectively impacting over 331,000 acres.

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Wildland firefighting is among the most dangerous jobs in the world. Today is a painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox described wildland firefighting as one of the world's most dangerous jobs, calling the crash a "painful reminder" of the risks undertaken by firefighters. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations. NTSB investigators are expected to arrive by Saturday evening but will likely need to wait for fire conditions to stabilize before accessing the crash site.

The incident occurs during a particularly deadly wildfire season in the western United States. Three firefighters died in June battling a blaze along the Colorado-Utah border. Officials have noted that fires are spreading faster and behaving in unpredictable ways, stretching resources thin and increasing the danger for those on the front lines.

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Our firefighters have been working around the clock, our resources are stretched, and we cannot afford preventable ignitions during the days ahead.