Utah Firefighting Helicopter Crashes Near Widemouth 2 Fire With Two Aboard
A firefighting helicopter crashed Friday while supporting operations near Utah’s Widemouth 2 Fire, leaving two people aboard and forcing responders to wait for safer conditions before reaching the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Sikorsky S-64 went down near Richfield, about 160 miles south of Salt Lake City. The aircraft was working near a major central Utah wildfire that began July 27 after lightning and had grown to more than 105,000 acres by Friday.
Officials said crews were not immediately able to reach the crash site because of active flames and difficult terrain. At a Friday briefing, a Great Basin incident official said the crash also started a new fire, adding another hazard for responders.
The conditions of the two people aboard have not been publicly confirmed. The cause of the crash is also unknown.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →
The practical consequence is immediate. Until crews can safely access the wreckage, officials may be limited in confirming the crew’s status, recovering the aircraft and determining what happened. The crash also removes a heavy-lift aircraft from a major wildfire response at a time when aerial resources are central to slowing remote fires.
Public reaction focused on concern for the crew and the danger faced by wildfire responders. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote that wildland firefighting is one of the world’s most dangerous jobs and called the crash a painful reminder of the risks crews accept.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate. NTSB investigators were expected to reach Richfield, but access to the site depends on fire conditions.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →