A firefighting helicopter carrying two people crashed near the Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah on Friday about 10 a.m. The status of those aboard was unknown after the crash.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the Sikorsky S-64 went down in the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of Richfield. Great Basin Team 2 said the aircraft was part of its Widemouth 2 firefighting operations.
Tyler Hecht on Friday
Tyler Hecht, the deputy incident commander for Great Basin Incident Management Team 2, said crews had not reached the scene by 5 p.m. and hoped to get there within the next 24 hours. He said, "We're looking for every opportunity to do that. It's just based on the safety of those responders to get there".
Sevier County authorities said fire conditions do not allow access to the crash site. Hecht said, "Unfortunately, right now, the fire conditions are just not allowing that to happen.... It's very active on that south side."
Widemouth 2 Fire operations
Great Basin Team 2 had seven helicopters assigned to the fire on Friday, along with 23 engines, nine dozers, nine water tenders and 632 total personnel. Hecht said the crash was "somber" and added, "It's not going to change how we operate," before saying, "We're going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground."
The crash ignited new flames near the southeast end of the fire, where the southern side near I-70 was one of the more active sections. Great Basin Team 2 assumed command earlier this week, after the fire had grown earlier in the month.
FAA and National Transportation Safety
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. Governor Spencer Cox asked Utahns to keep the crews in their prayers and said, "Wildland firefighting is among the most dangerous jobs in the world. Today is a painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us."
For crews, the immediate task is reaching the site safely and securing it while firefighting continues around an active fire that has already blocked access once.
