Two pilots died after a wildfire helicopter crash in Utah, officials said Saturday, after the aircraft went down Friday morning while crews battled flames in Fishlake National Forest. The helicopter, a Sikorsky Skycrane, was working on the fire when it crashed, turning an already dangerous operation into a deadly scene for firefighters and responders.
The Sevier County Sheriff said the crash killed the two people aboard. Officials did not identify the pilots, but said they worked for Helicopter Transport Services, a contractor for the US Forest Service. Crews were unable to reach the crash site at first because of the fire, and only later on Saturday were they able to enter the area and confirm the deaths, according to the sheriff and coroner.
The crash also created a new fire that merged with the existing blaze, and the combined fire has burned nearly 174 square miles. That is a major footprint for a wildfire in rugged forest terrain, and it shows how quickly one mishap can intensify an already serious emergency. In the West, where wind, heat and dry fuel often drive fast-moving fires, aerial crews are a crucial part of the response, but the work carries real risk.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the wreck once its team can examine the debris. Officials said it will likely take the agency a year or more to determine what caused the crash. That timeline is typical in complex aviation cases, especially when fire, terrain and damage limit what investigators can see at the scene right away.
