Two firefighting helicopter pilots dead in Utah wildfire crash
A Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter contracted to fight the Widemouth 2 fire crashed Friday morning near Richfield, Utah, killing both crew members.
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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 36 items across 4 sources · 21h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the U.S. Forest Service crashed Friday morning near Richfield, Utah while battling the Widemouth 2 wildfire in Fishlake National Forest, killing both pilots. The crash ignited a secondary fire and complicated ongoing firefighting efforts on a blaze that has burned over 170,000 acres with 24 percent containment as of Saturday.
- Two pilots employed by Helicopter Transport Services died when their Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane crashed Friday morning during firefighting operations on Utah's Widemouth 2 fire.
- Extreme fire conditions and steep terrain prevented immediate rescue access; bodies were recovered Saturday, more than 24 hours after the crash.
- The crash ignited a secondary fire that merged with the main blaze, now spanning over 170,000 acres with only 24 percent containment.
- This marks Utah's second fatal wildfire incident in summer 2026, following four firefighter deaths in June on the Knowles and Gore fires.
How it unfolded
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Event Deaths confirmed, bodies recovered
On Saturday, more than 24 hours after the crash, rescue crews reached the wreckage and recovered the bodies of both pilots. The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths and extended condolences to families.
“Two helicopter pilots who crashed while they were fighting a wildfire in Utah have died, officials confirmed Saturday.”
Officials/Sevier County Sheriff · Bluesky ↗ -
Reaction Governor and officials honor fallen pilots
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called wildland firefighting "among the most dangerous jobs in the world" and asked residents to keep the crew in their prayers. The Utah Highway Patrol organized a procession Saturday evening to escort the remains.
“among the most dangerous jobs in the world”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox · Bluesky ↗ -
Report Fire containment and scale assessed
The Widemouth 2 fire, ignited July 27 from lightning, has burned more than 111,000-174,000 acres with only 24 percent containment. The blaze is on pace to become Utah's largest wildfire of the year and is the state's second fatal wildfire incident of the summer.
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Event Helicopter crashes during firefighting operations
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter crashed around 10am local time (16:00 GMT) on Friday near Richfield in the Three Creeks Reservoir area while battling the Widemouth 2 fire. The crash occurred in steep terrain with extreme fire conditions.
“It's not going to change how we operate. We're going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground.”
Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht · Bluesky ↗ -
Event Rescue teams unable to reach crash site
Extreme fire conditions and steep terrain prevented rescue teams from immediately accessing the helicopter wreckage on Friday. Officials hoped to reach the site within 24 hours.
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Event Crash ignites secondary fire
The helicopter crash sparked a new fire that later connected with the existing Widemouth 2 blaze, expanding the total burn area.
- 12 days quiet
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Event Widemouth 2 fire ignites
The Widemouth 2 fire started from a lightning strike in Fishlake National Forest on July 27, initiating the incident that would lead to the helicopter deployment.
What people are saying verbatim
“It's not going to change how we operate. We're going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground.”
Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht, Great Basin Incident Management Team · Al Jazeera ↗
“among the most dangerous jobs in the world”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, State governor · Al Jazeera ↗
“We didn't want to put them at bigger risk. We'll get them in there as soon as we can.”
Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis, Law enforcement official · AP News ↗
“Two helicopter pilots who crashed while they were fighting a wildfire in Utah have died, officials confirmed Saturday.”
Officials/Sevier County Sheriff, Government authorities · PBS NewsHour ↗
“The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.”
PBS reporting, News outlet · PBS NewsHour ↗
Voices from the web unedited
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Two helicopter pilots who crashed while they were fighting a wildfire in Utah are dead, officials confirmed.
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PBS: The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff. https://www. pbs.org/newshour/nation/pilots -of-helicopter-that-crashed-while-fighting-wildfire-in-utah-are-dead-officials-say
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A heavy-lift helicopter helping battle a Utah wildfire crashed Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, with no immediate word on the conditions of the two aboard.
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Utah wildfire blocks rescuers from reaching firefighting helicopter crash site #TheGuardian
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Firefighting helicopter crashes while responding to Utah wildfire #UPI