Helicopter Pilots Die in Utah Wildfire Fighting Effort

Two helicopter pilots lost their lives in Utah while combating a wildfire, confirmed by officials on Saturday. The crash of their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter occurred on Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff. The helicopter was engaged in battling a fire within Fishlake National Forest.

The crash triggered a new fire, which merged with the existing one, now covering nearly 174 square miles (about 451 square kilometers). The pilots, employees of Helicopter Transport Services contracted by the U.S. Forest Service, were not immediately identified by officials.

Initially, officials reported the crash site was inaccessible due to the fire. By Saturday, crews had managed to enter the area and confirm the deaths, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash once they can examine the wreckage. Determining the cause may take the NTSB a year or more.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the West, fires continued to burn. Part of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was closed due to a new wildfire burning less than a third of a square mile (less than a square kilometer). Firefighters were working to control it.

Larger fires near Spokane, Washington, have burned over 15.63 square miles (over 40 square kilometers). Firefighters have created more than 75 miles (over 120 kilometers) of containment lines to manage the flames. In Oregon, hot and dry conditions helped a fire spread beyond 30 square miles (77.7 square kilometers). Firefighters were searching for optimal locations to establish containment lines around the Wrights Spring fire. They also mourned the loss of 47-year-old Jason Ensign, who died operating a bulldozer for a timber company. The fire rapidly expanded on Thursday, blocking Ensign’s escape route.

In British Columbia, more than 20,000 residents had to evacuate due to another fast-moving wildfire.