Helicopter fighting Utah wildfire crashes with two people onboard, officials say

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A firefighting Sikorsky S64 helicopter with two individuals onboard crashed on Friday morning in central Utah, according to federal aviation authorities. The US Forest Service initially declined to comment on the condition of the helicopter’s passengers, asking the public for “patience while we focus on response efforts” in a statement. Emergency personnel are responding near Richfield, a city about 160 miles south of Salt Lake City, an agency spokesperson told the Guardian by email. The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are unknown. At a media briefing on Friday evening, Tyler Hecht, deputy incident commander with Great Basin incident management team, described the terrain as “very difficult”, and said rescuers “have…

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