Dangerous wildfire keeps crews from reaching helicopter crash in Utah
A large Utah wildfire kept emergency responders from safely reaching the remote site of a helicopter crash on Saturday as other fires burned across several Western states, including…
A large wildfire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest prevented emergency crews from reaching the crash site of a helicopter on Saturday. The Friday morning collision of a Sikorsky Skycrane in the forest resulted in the deaths of the pilot and one crewmember, but their location was uncertain due to the ongoing fire. The wildfire had now merged with an existing blaze, consuming nearly 174 square miles.
Officials decided not to risk more lives until the situation stabilized. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, a process that may take up to a year or longer. Meanwhile, a separate wildfire in Washington state forced the closure of parts of Mount Rainier National Park. Firefighters in Utah and Washington were working to control the respective fires, with varying degrees of success.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
