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Firefighting helicopter crashes while battling large Utah wildfire
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Associated PressRICHFIELD, Utah — A helicopter helping battle a large Utah wildfire crashed Friday with no word on the conditions of the two people aboard as officials said they couldn’t immediately reach the crash site.
The helicopter was one of seven working the Widemouth 2 Fire in central Utah that was caused by lightning on July 27.
Conditions were good enough for aircraft to fly when the helicopter crashed, said Tyler Hecht with the Great Basin Incident Management Team, at an afternoon press conference.
The helicopter had been working in an area with steep terrain and when it crashed, it ignited another fire.
Fire crews were warned Friday morning that there would be erratic winds, dry fuels and hot temperatures as well as the potential for dry thunderstorms and lightning.