KANOSH, Utah (KUTV) — A Sikorsky S-64 helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah, at about 10 a.m. local time Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The helicopter reportedly crashed Friday morning near the south end of the Widemouth 2 Fire. The FAA said two people were on board the aircraft.Gov. Spencer Cox released the following statement:”Today personnel are responding to an incident regarding firefighting aviation near the Widemouth 2 Fire.Wildland firefighting is among the most dangerous jobs in the world. Today is a painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us.We ask all Utahns to keep them in your prayers and to give investigators and emergency responders the time and space they need. We will share more information as it becomes available.”The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said it and Search and Rescue responded to the Three Creeks Reservoir area after a firefighting helicopter went down. Fire conditions prevented access to the crash site, and the sheriff’s office said it was coordinating with the fire’s incident command to determine when it would be safe to enter the area. “Due to the fire activity kind of overran the area, so no escape routes that any firefighters can get into or out of if we had put them in there. We would’ve put them at bigger risk,” said Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis.The crash remains under investigation, and the sheriff’s office said it is working with agencies that have jurisdiction over aircraft and aircraft accidents.Personnel responded to an incident involving a firefighting helicopter near the Widemouth 2 Fire on the Fishlake National Forest, according to officials. Officials said the situation remained active and developing, with emergency personnel at the scene. They said their top priority was responding to the incident and that local, state and federal authorities were assisting.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide future updates, the FAA said.Officials with the incident management team confirmed there was an “incident” but did not provide additional details.The Widemouth 2 Fire is the second-largest wildfire of Utah’s 2026 fire season, behind the Babylon Fire, which burned more than 107,000 acres in San Juan County.A somber feeling now hangs over the fire camp set up in the middle of Fillmore. But despite the tragedy, fire managers say they still have a job to do.“We have a mission to focus on. We’re going to continue fighting fire and trying those communities out there and at the same time take care of our responders,” the deputy incident manager said.___
