A Sikorsky S-64 firefighting helicopter operated under contract with the U.S. Forest Service crashed Friday morning near Richfield, Utah, while fighting the Widemouth 2 wildfire, killing the pilot and one crewmember onboard [1, 2, 3, 4]. The crash ignited a new fire at the wreckage site, complicating rescue efforts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Officials described the terrain as remote and difficult, within the wildfire’s perimeter, preventing crews from safely accessing the site immediately after the crash [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

The Widemouth 2 fire began on July 27 after a lightning strike in central Utah and has since burned over 114,000 acres, with containment between 19-24 percent as of early August [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. The blaze has destroyed six structures and continues to challenge firefighting teams about 160 miles south of Salt Lake City [7, 4, 5, 6]. Firefighting operations paused briefly after the helicopter crash but later resumed [1, 5]. Reportedly, flying conditions at the time of the crash were suitable [5].

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the accident. An NTSB investigator traveled to the crash site on or before August 8 to examine the wreckage [1, 2, 3, 7, 4, 6]. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called wildland firefighting one of the most dangerous professions and called the crash a "painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us." He urged Utahns to keep the victims in their prayers and give investigators time and space [1, 6].

Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis highlighted the hazards firefighters face in the area, saying there were "no escape routes that any firefighters could get into or out of if we had put them in there" [3].

The wildfire season has been deadly in the western U.S., with four firefighters killed in a June blaze along the Colorado-Utah border [2, 3]. Officials continue working to contain the Widemouth 2 fire and investigate the helicopter crash that added to the toll.

The next step in the investigation involves the ongoing work by the NTSB at the crash site, with reports expected as they gather more evidence.