RICHFIELD, Utah (AP) — A helicopter helping battle a large Utah wildfire crashed Friday with no immediate word on the conditions of the two people aboard, federal officials said.
The helicopter was one of seven working a fire in central Utah that was caused by lightning on July 27. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the helicopter crashed in Richfield, which is about 160 miles (258 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
Officials in Sevier and Millard counties did not immediately respond to questions about the crash, and the FAA and wildfire officials didn’t have information on the conditions of the two people who were on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, but they may not be able to safely reach the scene immediately if the wildfire is burning nearby.
Fire crews were warned Friday morning that erratic winds, dry fuels and hot temperatures were on tap as well as the potential for dry thunderstorms and lightning. Red flag warnings were in effect.
The fire on the Fishlake National Forest had grown to 165 square miles (427 square kilometers) and was 19% contained by Friday.
Months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to blazes in Utah and other parts of the West.
Four firefighters were killed and a fifth was injured after they were overcome by a fast-moving wildfire in Colorado in June. The firefighters tried to shield themselves by deploying tentlike emergency shelters as flames overran their position.
