Two helicopter pilots who crashed while they were fighting a wildfire in Utah are dead, officials confirmed Saturday.
The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.
The helicopter was among those fighting a fire in the Fishlake National Forest. The crash ignited a new fire that spread to connect with the existing blaze, which has now scorched nearly 174 square miles.
"Today we mourn two helicopter pilots who lost their lives while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire," Gov. Cox said in a social media post. "They put themselves in harm’s way to protect our state and gave their lives in that service."
Officials did not identify the pilots but said they were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, which was contracted by the U.S. Forest Service.
Initially, officials said they were unable to reach the crash site because of the fire. Then, on Saturday, crews were able to enter the area and confirmed the deaths, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate once its team can examine the wreckage. It will likely take the NTSB a year or more to determine the cause.
This story was written by Josh Funk of the Associated Press
