Pilot and crew member killed in Utah wildfire helicopter crash near Richfield

A firefighting helicopter has crashed during operations on the Widemouth 2 fire in central Utah, killing the pilot and one crew member. The aircraft went down near Richfield, in the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of the city, as crews worked to contain one of the state's largest wildfires this year. Recovery efforts were delayed by extreme fire conditions and steep terrain, according to officials.

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The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane was operating under contract with the United States Forest Service when it crashed at about 10am local time on Friday, which was 16:00 GMT. The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths on Saturday, more than 24 hours later, and said the two crew members were fatally injured. It also said the bodies were recovered on Saturday, but the names of the deceased have not been released.

Officials said the fire remained active after the crash, with containment standing at 24 percent. Evacuations were issued for residents in the area and road closures were put in place as the blaze continued to threaten nearby communities. Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht said crews took a tactical pause after the crash before resuming firefighting work, adding that aircraft would continue to support firefighters on the ground.

The crash comes as Utah faces a difficult wildfire season and renewed scrutiny of the risks faced by aviation crews working in steep, fast-moving fire conditions. Wildland firefighting is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous forms of emergency work, and the loss of an aircraft crew can affect both the pace and the safety of suppression efforts. The incident also highlights the dependence of large wildfire responses on helicopters and other aircraft when terrain limits ground access.

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The Widemouth 2 fire began after a lightning strike in Fishlake National Forest on 27 July and has burned more than 111,000 acres, or about 45,000 hectares. Officials said the fire was still showing extreme behaviour, including crowning and long-range spotting, which can rapidly spread flames beyond the main fire line. The blaze was on pace to become Utah's largest wildfire of the year, adding pressure on local and federal responders already stretched by the scale of the emergency.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox described wildland firefighting as among the most dangerous jobs in the world and asked residents to keep the crew in their prayers. The Utah Highway Patrol organised a procession on Saturday evening to escort the remains of the fallen crew members. It remains unclear what caused the helicopter to crash, and officials have not said when a fuller investigation may be completed.

The immediate focus remains on firefighting, protecting nearby communities and assessing the impact of the loss on air operations.

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