Key takeaways
Helicopter Crash: A Sikorsky S-64 helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah while fighting a wildfire, igniting another fire. Conditions of the two people onboard are unknown, and access to the site is delayed due to flames.
Oregon Fire Fatality: Jason Ensign, 47, died operating a bulldozer as the Wrights Spring fire grew rapidly, cutting off his escape. The fire has burned 14 sq miles with no containment.
Utah Fire Impact: The Fishlake National Forest fire has spread to 165 sq miles, is 19% contained, and has prompted evacuations. Over 600 firefighters are battling extreme conditions caused by dry weather, high temperatures, and erratic winds.
RICHFIELD, Utah (AP) — A heavy-lift helicopter with two people on board battling a large Utah wildfire crashed as firefighters worked to corral an uncontained blaze in Oregon that killed a bulldozer operator, officials said Friday.
There was no word on the conditions of the people aboard the helicopter as officials said they couldn’t immediately reach the crash site.
During firefighting operations in Oregon, 47-year-old Jason Ensign died Thursday while operating a dozer for a timber company. The Wrights Spring fire escalated with “unexpected and rapid growth” and cut off Ensign’s escape route, the local sheriff’s department said.
The fire started on Wednesday in south-central Oregon east of the town of Chiloquin. It had burned almost 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) by Friday with no containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Extremely hot and dry weather has caused erratic fire behavior, officials said.