A helicopter assisting in the fight against a significant wildfire in central Utah crashed Friday, with the conditions of the two individuals on board remaining unknown, federal officials reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash occurred near Richfield, approximately 160 miles south of Salt Lake City. The helicopter was part of a fleet of seven aircraft engaged in combating a wildfire ignited by lightning on July 27.
Officials in Sevier and Millard counties, along with the FAA and wildfire authorities, had no immediate information regarding the condition of the two people aboard the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are set to investigate the incident. However, access to the crash site may be complicated if the wildfire is actively burning in the vicinity.
Fire crews had been alerted on Friday morning to the potential for erratic winds, dry fuel conditions, high temperatures, and the possibility of dry thunderstorms and lightning. Red flag warnings were in effect for the area.
The wildfire, located on the Fishlake National Forest near the community of Kanosh, Utah, had expanded to cover 165 square miles by Friday morning and was 19% contained. More than 600 firefighting personnel are working to control the blaze, which has led to evacuations and destroyed at least six structures while burning through timber, brush, and grass.
Months of dry weather, a severe lack of snow in some regions, heatwaves, and unpredictable winds have contributed to the proliferation of wildfires in Utah and other western states. In June, four firefighters died and a fifth was injured after being overcome by a rapidly spreading wildfire in Colorado, where they attempted to use emergency shelters for protection as flames advanced.