Published • loading... • Updated
Dangerous wildfire keeps crews from reaching helicopter crash in Utah
The blaze has scorched nearly 174 square miles, and officials have not confirmed the status of the two people aboard the helicopter.
- The Friday morning crash of a Sikorsky Skycrane in Utah's Fishlake National Forest ignited a fire that merged with an existing blaze, trapping the wreckage inside the fire perimeter and preventing responders from accessing the site.
- Officials prioritized safety, deciding not to place additional lives at risk until the Widemouth 2 Fire is more under control; the blaze has now scorched nearly 174 square miles after consuming the initial crash site.
- While The National Interagency Fire Center reported the pilot and crew member were fatally injured, officials have not officially confirmed the status of the two people aboard due to the inaccessible crash site and ongoing fire activity.
- Investigators plan to examine the wreckage once the site becomes safe; The National Transportation Safety Board cautioned that determining the crash cause will likely take a year or more to conclude.
- Dangerous conditions persist across Western states, where concurrent wildfires have forced evacuations of more than 20,000 people in British Columbia and caused the death of 47-year-old Jason Ensign in Oregon.
Insights by Ground AI
72 Articles
72 Articles
A Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter crashed while fighting wildfires in the US state of Utah, killing both pilots, the Associated Press reports.
·Vilnius, Lithuania
Read Full Article
Two helicopter pilots died in Utah when their plane crashed while battling a massive wildfire. The crash is under investigation.
·Budapest, Hungary
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources72
Leaning Left10Leaning Right12Center43Last UpdatedBias Distribution66% Center
Bias Distribution
- 66% of the sources are Center
66% Center
15%
C 66%
R 19%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
