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Two helicopter pilots lost their lives Friday morning while battling a wildfire in Utah, authorities confirmed Saturday. The Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter they were flying crashed in Sevier County during firefighting efforts in the Fishlake National Forest.
The crash sparked a new fire that eventually merged with the ongoing wildfire, which has now consumed nearly 174 square miles. The pilots, employed by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the U.S. Forest Service, have not been publicly identified.
Initially, fire conditions prevented emergency crews from reaching the crash site. However, by Saturday, responders were able to access the area and confirmed the fatalities, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner.
The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation once its team can safely examine the wreckage, a process expected to take a year or more to determine the cause.
Meanwhile, several other wildfires continue to challenge firefighters across the Western United States. In Washington, a blaze near Mount Rainier National Park forced closures of the Sunrise and White River areas after burning less than a third of a square mile. Firefighters are actively working to contain the fire.
Near Spokane, Washington, larger fires have burned over 15.6 square miles. Fire crews have constructed more than 75 miles of containment lines to slow the spread.
In Oregon, dry and hot weather conditions have allowed the Wrights Spring fire to grow beyond 30 square miles. Firefighters are strategizing the best locations for containment lines while mourning the loss of 47-year-old Jason Ensign. Ensign, operating a bulldozer for a timber company, was killed after the rapidly expanding fire cut off his escape route.
Across the border in British Columbia, more than 20,000 residents have been evacuated ahead of another rapidly moving wildfire, adding to the mounting wildfire challenges in the region.