2 firefighters killed after helicopter crashes near Widemouth 2 Fire

RICHFIELD — Two pilots were killed after the helicopter they were riding in crashed near a massive wildfire burning in central Utah on Friday.

The National Interagency Fire Center, which oversees the National Interagency Coordination Center, confirmed the fatalities on Saturday, adding that the helicopter was on contract with the U.S. Forest Service. Their names and ages were not immediately released.

The Utah Highway Patrol on Saturday evening announced a procession for the firefighters and issued road closures in order to escort their remains.

"To honor the fallen helicopter crew fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire near Richfield, Utah law enforcement and fire departments will be escorting our fallen heroes," UHP said. "Please expect slow downs on I-70 westbound to I-15 northbound from Cove Fort to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Taylorsville."

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Gov. Spencer Cox shared his condolences on Saturday on social media.

"They put themselves in harm's way to protect our state and gave their lives in that service. Abby and I are heartbroken," Cox said. "Our prayers are with their families and the entire wildland fire community. Utah will never forget their courage, their service, and their sacrifice."

The two firefighters were on board a Sikorsky S-64 helicopter, which crashed shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday near Richfield. The crash ignited vegetation in the area, the U.S. Forest Service said in an update Saturday.

"We stand strong in our support of the Fishlake National Forest, HTS, those supporting the Widemouth 2 Fire, and the communities affected directly by this loss. Fatalities such as this land heavily on the minds and hearts of our agencies and the wildland fire community as a whole," the Forest Service said.

"We honor these firefighters by supporting those who remain on scene to fight this and other fires, and by caring for those affected by this in any way."

A witness told KSL they saw smoke coming from a site near where a helicopter had flown over Friday morning. Photos from the area showed a plume of smoke above a hill.

Sevier County sheriff's officials said the crash occurred in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield and close to the southeast end of the Widemouth 2 Fire.

Officials said the southern end of the fire, nearing I-70, has been one of the fire's more active sections, while the crash also ignited new flames.

Great Basin Team 2 assumed command of the fire earlier this week, after the fire blossomed in size at the beginning of the month. Seven helicopters were assigned to the fire on Friday, along with 23 engines, nine dozers and nine water tenders among 632 total personnel.

Sikorsky S-64, more commonly known as a Skycrane, is a heavy-lift helicopter model commonly used for firefighting operations with a bucket or fixed tank configurations, according to Siller Helicopters. It's unclear what caused the crash, which will be investigated by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.

Tyler Hecht, deputy incident commander for the Great Basin Incident Management Team 2, whose voice appeared to crack at times as he spoke on Friday, said the mood has been "somber" since the crash. Firefighters took a pause afterward, but then returned to work knowing the threats facing the communities and I-70 in the area.

"It's not going to change how we operate," he added. "We're going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground."

Cox previously asked Utahns to keep the crews in their prayers in a post to social media.

The incident comes during the same summer that four firefighters died, and another was injured during a burnover incident while they battled the Knowles and Gore fires near the Utah-Colorado border in June. Three were pronounced dead at the scene while a fourth person died in July, weeks after the incident.

"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," Cox wrote.

The Widemouth 2 Fire started by a lightning strike within Fishlake National Forest near Kanosh, Millard County on July 27, but it spiked over the past week, as hot, dry and sometimes windy conditions returned to the region.

It has now burned at least 111,000 acres, surpassing the Babylon Fire as the state's largest fire this year.

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