Widemouth 2 Fire tops 100,000 acres, 19% contained
Two firefighters aboard a Sikorsky S-64 crashed Friday while responding to a wildfire raging in central Utah, authorities said. The helicopter crashed about 10 a.m. in Richfield, and no word had been released on the condition of the two aboard.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said personnel were responding to an incident regarding firefighting aviation near the Widemouth 2 Fire. “Wildland firefighting is among the most dangerous jobs in the world,” Cox said in a statement on X. “Today is a painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us.”
The U.S. Forest Service said more information would be released “as soon as it is available.” In a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, the agency said: “This is an emerging situation, and emergency personnel are on scene. Our top priority is responding to the incident.”
The crash came as crews fought the Widemouth 2 Fire, which has burned more than 100,000 acres since July 27, KSTU reported. The blaze has affected a huge stretch of the Fishlake National Forest.
As of Friday, the fire was considered 19% contained, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“At this time fire conditions do not allow access to the scene,” the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook, adding that it was coordinating with the fire incident command to determine when it is safe to go in and that the incident was an ongoing investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.