Two pilots die as Utah firefighting helicopter crashes into wildfire

A Sikorsky Skycrane battling a Utah wildfire crashed, killing both pilots on board. The wreck ignited another blaze and underscored the mounting risks facing crews across the West.

In Short

• The crashed aircraft was contracted by the US Forest Service
• The impact ignited another fire that later merged with the main blaze
• The combined Utah fire has scorched nearly 174 square miles so far

Two helicopter pilots who were battling a wildfire in Utah have died after their Sikorsky Skycrane crashed on Friday morning, officials confirmed on Saturday. The helicopter was part of the response to a fire in the Fishlake National Forest.

The crash sparked a new fire, which later merged with the existing blaze. Officials said the combined fire has now burned nearly 174 square miles, or nearly 451 square kilometres, as multiple wildfires continued to burn across parts of the western United States.

According to the Sevier County Sheriff, the two pilots were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, which had been contracted by the US Forest Service. Authorities did not identify the pilots. Officials had initially said they could not reach the crash site because of the fire, but crews were able to enter the area on Saturday and confirm the deaths, the Sevier County sheriff and coroner said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash once its team is able to examine the wreckage. Officials said it will likely take the NTSB a year or more to determine the cause.

Wildfires were also burning in other parts of the West. In Washington state, a new wildfire led the National Park Service to close access to the Sunrise and White River areas of Mount Rainier National Park after the blaze burned less than a third of a square mile, or less than a square kilometre. Firefighters were working to bring it under control.

Larger fires near Spokane in Washington have now burned more than 15.63 square miles, or over 40 square kilometres. Firefighters there have built more than 75 miles, or over 120 kilometres, of containment line to help control the flames.

In Oregon, hot and dry conditions helped an uncontrolled fire spread beyond 30 square miles, or 77.7 square kilometres. Firefighters were still trying to identify the best places to set up containment lines around the Wrights Spring fire as they mourned 47-year-old Jason Ensign, who was killed while operating a bulldozer for a timber company. The blaze grew rapidly on Thursday and cut off Ensign's escape route.

In British Columbia, more than 20,000 people were evacuated ahead of another fast-moving wildfire. Overall, officials across the region continued to battle several major fires, with the Utah crash marking a deadly setback in the effort.

With PTI Inputs

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