Now Reading: Skycrane helicopter crashes in Utah, two aboard; Oregon blaze kills bulldozer operator
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Skycrane helicopter crashes in Utah, two aboard; Oregon blaze kills bulldozer operator
Skycrane helicopter crashes in Utah, two aboard; Oregon blaze kills bulldozer operator
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane firefighting helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah, on Friday while battling the Widemouth 2 Fire, with two people aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash occurred around 10…
The Story in Brief
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane firefighting helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah, on Friday while battling the Widemouth 2 Fire, with two people aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash occurred around 10 AM local time near the south end of the fire on Fishlake National Forest. Emergency crews could not reach the site due to flames, and the condition of those aboard remains unknown.
The Widemouth 2 Fire, sparked by lightning on July 27, is Utah's second-largest wildfire this season. It has grown to about 165 square miles and is 19% contained. Separately, in Oregon, bulldozer operator Jason Ensign, 47, died on Thursday while fighting the Wrights Spring fire after unexpected rapid growth cut off his escape route, English Mathrubhumi reports. The NTSB and FAA will investigate the Utah crash, but access may be delayed if the fire remains active.
The Indian Opinion
The 'technology will save us' narrative takes another hit. A heavy-lift helicopter, considered safe for steep terrain, goes down and a bulldozer operator dies when a fire behaves erratically. The climate backdrop is real, record-low snow and heatwaves fuel these fires, but the real test is getting to the wreckage. Will investigators reach the crash site within 24 hours, as officials hope, or will the fire decide otherwise?
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, english.mathrubhumi.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
