Firefighting Helicopter Crash Kills Two in Utah

A pilot and a crew member have died after a firefighting helicopter crashed while battling a major wildfire in central Utah, United States.

The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, operated by Helicopter Transport Services for the U.S. Forest Service, crashed near Richfield on Friday while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire.

Rescue teams could not immediately reach the crash site due to steep terrain and extreme fire conditions.

The bodies were recovered on Saturday, while the identities of the victims have not been released.

Authorities have ordered evacuations and road closures in affected areas as the wildfire continues to spread.

The Widemouth 2 Fire, which started after a lightning strike on July 27, has burned more than 111,000 acres and was 24 percent contained as of Saturday.

The fire remains highly dangerous, with strong flames and long-range spotting threatening nearby communities.

This is the second fatal wildfire incident in Utah this summer, following the deaths of four firefighters in separate incidents in June.