RICHFIELD, Utah (AP) 鈥� A helicopter helping battle crashed Friday with no immediate word on the conditions of the two people aboard, federal officials said.
The helicopter was one of seven working a fire in central Utah that was caused by lightning on July 27. It crashed near Richfield, which is about 160 miles (258 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
Local officials in Sevier and Millard counties did not immediately respond to questions about the crash, and the FAA and wildfire officials didn鈥檛 have information on the conditions of the two people who were on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, but they may not be able to safely reach the scene immediately if the wildfire is burning nearby.
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. Red flag warnings were in effect.
The fire on the Fishlake National Forest near small community of Kanosh, Utah had grown to 165 square miles (427 square kilometers) and was 19% contained by Friday morning. More than 600 firefighting personnel are battling the blaze, which has triggered evacuations and destroyed at least six structures as it burns through timber, brush and grass.
Months of dry weather, a in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to blazes in Utah and other parts of the West.
were killed and a fifth was injured after they were in Colorado in June. tried to shield themselves by deploying tentlike emergency shelters as flames overran their position.
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