Utah governor orders flags to half-staff in honor of firefighter pilots killed in helicopter crash

SALT LAKE CITY — Beginning Tuesday, all United States and Utah state flags will be lowered to half-staff in recognition of two firefighter pilots who died while battling Utah's largest wildfire so far this year.

Chris Andersen, 64, of Stateline, Nevada, and Miles Elliott, 50, of Porterville, California, lost their lives when the helicopter they were piloting crashed while responding to the Widemouth 2 Fire near Richfield in central Utah on Friday.

Gov. Spencer Cox on Tuesday ordered the United States and state of Utah flags to be lowered to half-staff until sunset on the day of the last interment.

"Chris Andersen and Miles Elliott dedicated their lives to serving others, and they made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our state," Cox said in a news release. "Utah mourns with their families and loved ones and honors two men who came to our aid when we needed them most. We will never forget their service and sacrifice."

Cox also invited private citizens, businesses and others to lower flags in honor of Andersen and Elliott.

By Tuesday, the Widemouth 2 Fire grew to 122,759 acres at 30% containment after lightning caused the fire to start on July 27, according to Utah Fire Info.

As of Monday, the cause of the helicopter crash remained under investigation while the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration worked to access the crash site.

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