Two helicopter pilots died while combating a wildfire in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest, officials reported on Saturday. Their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter crashed on Friday morning, triggering a new fire. This new blaze merged with the existing fire, which has burned approximately 174 square miles (451 square kilometers).

The Sevier County Sheriff confirmed the fatalities. The pilots worked for Helicopter Transport Services, contracted by the U.S. Forest Service, though their names remain undisclosed.

Due to the fire, reaching the crash site was initially impossible. By Saturday, crews managed to access the area, confirming the deaths as stated by the Sevier County sheriff and coroner. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation. An official cause may take over a year to establish.

Simultaneously, several other fires are burning in the western U.S. A newly sparked wildfire prompted the National Park Service to close parts of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Firefighters are actively working to control this fire, which covers less than a third of a square mile (less than a square kilometer).

Near Spokane, Washington, larger fires have ravaged over 15.63 square miles (40 square kilometers). Firefighters have built more than 75 miles (120 kilometers) of containment lines to manage the spread.

In Oregon, firefighters are contending with an uncontained blaze, spurred by hot and dry conditions, spreading over 30 square miles (77.7 square kilometers). As they seek effective containment strategies around the Wrights Spring fire, they mourn the loss of 47-year-old Jason Ensign. Ensign died during bulldozer operations for a timber company when the rapidly growing fire blocked his escape on Thursday.

Additionally, in British Columbia, over 20,000 residents have evacuated due to a swiftly advancing wildfire.