KABUL (Pajhwok): A pilot and a crew member have been killed when a firefighting helicopter crashed in the US state of Utah, according to reports.
Al Jazeera reported that the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane crashed on Friday morning near Richfield, in the Three Creeks Reservoir area. The helicopter was operated by Helicopter Transport Services under a contract with the US Forest Service.
The US National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths of both crew members on Saturday, saying the intensity of the wildfire and difficult terrain had delayed rescue teams from reaching the wreckage. Their bodies were recovered later that day. Their identities have not yet been released.
Authorities ordered evacuations in some areas near the wildfire and closed several roads. Firefighting operations were temporarily suspended following the crash to assess the situation and reposition personnel, but later resumed.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described wildfire fighting as one of the world’s most dangerous jobs and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
The Widemouth 2 wildfire began on July 27 after lightning sparked a fire in the Fishlake National Forest. It has so far burned more than 111,000 acres and was only 24 percent contained by Saturday, while severe fire conditions continued to threaten nearby residential areas.
This is the second fatal incident linked to wildfires in Utah this summer. In June, several firefighters were killed while battling wildfires near the Colorado border.
hz/sa
