A Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter crashed Friday morning in Utah's Fishlake National Forest, igniting a new wildfire that has now merged with an existing blaze covering nearly 174 square miles. The intense wildfire is preventing emergency responders from safely reaching the remote crash site.
Officials leading the firefighting efforts have stated that they will not risk additional lives until the fire is more under control. Consequently, the status of the two individuals aboard the helicopter remains unconfirmed. The National Interagency Fire Center has reported that the pilot and crew member sustained fatal injuries in the crash, though the source of this information was not immediately available for comment.
"The site is now inside the fire perimeter itself," the fire incident management team announced Saturday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board is slated to investigate the crash once its team can access and examine the wreckage. Officials have cautioned the public against speculation regarding the cause of the incident at this early stage, noting that NTSB investigations can often take a year or more to conclude.
Across the Western United States, other wildfires are also active. In Washington state, the Sunrise and White River areas of Mount Rainier National Park were closed due to a new wildfire burning less than a square kilometer. Firefighters were working to contain this blaze on Saturday. Larger fires near Spokane have consumed over 40 square kilometers, but firefighters have established more than 120 kilometers of containment line.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, hot and dry conditions have contributed to the spread of an uncontrolled fire that has exceeded 77.7 square kilometers. Firefighters are identifying containment strategies for the Wrights Spring fire, which tragically resulted in the death of 47-year-old bulldozer operator Jason Ensign. The fire grew rapidly Thursday, cutting off Ensign’s escape route while he was working for a timber company.
Further north in British Columbia, Canada, more than 20,000 residents were forced to evacuate due to another rapidly advancing wildfire.