2 firefighters killed after helicopter crashes near Widemouth 2 Fire - KSL.com

RICHFIELD — A pilot and a crew member were killed after the helicopter they were riding in crashed near a massive wildfire burning in central Utah on Friday.The National Interagency Fire Center, which oversees the National Interagency Coordination Center, confirmed the fatalities on Saturday, adding that the helicopter was on contract with the U.S. Forest Service. Their names and ages were not immediately released.The Utah Highway Patrol on Saturday evening announced a procession for the firefighters and issued road closures in order to escort their remains."To honor the fallen helicopter crew fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire near Richfield, Utah law enforcement and fire departments will be escorting our fallen heroes," UHP said. "Please expect slow downs on I-70 westbound to I-15 northbound from Cove Fort to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Taylorsville." View this post on Instagram A post shared by KSL 5 TV (@kslnews) Gov. Spencer Cox shared his condolences on Saturday on social media."They put themselves in harm's way to protect our state and gave their lives in that service. Abby and I are heartbroken," Cox said. "Our prayers are with their families and the entire wildland fire community. Utah will never forget their courage, their service, and their sacrifice."The two firefighters were on board a Sikorsky S-64 helicopter, which crashed shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday near Richfield. The crash ignited vegetation in the area, the U.S. Forest Service said in an update Saturday."We stand strong in our support of the Fishlake National Forest, HTS, those supporting the Widemouth 2 Fire, and the communities affected directly by this loss. Fatalities such as this land heavily on the minds and hearts of our agencies and the wildland fire community as a whole," the Forest Service said."We honor these firefighters by supporting those who remain on scene to fight this and other fires, and by caring for those affected by this in any way."A witness told KSL they saw smoke coming from a site near where a helicopter had flown over Friday morning. Photos from the area showed a plume of smoke above a hill.Sevier County sheriff's officials said the crash occurred in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield and close to the southeast end of the Widemouth 2 Fire.Officials said the southern end of the fire, nearing I-70, has been one of the fire's more active sections, while the crash also ignited