A Sikorsky S-64 ‘Skycrane’ helicopter operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the United States Forest Service crashed while engaged in firefighting operations in central Utah. The aircraft went down around 10am local time on Friday near Richfield in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, close to the southeastern edge of the Widemouth 2 fire.
The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed on Saturday that both crew members aboard the aircraft were fatally injured. Extreme fire conditions and steep terrain prevented rescue teams from accessing the crash site immediately, though the bodies were recovered the following day. The identities of the deceased have not been disclosed.
Due to the incident, authorities issued evacuations for area residents and implemented road closures. Despite the crash, incident commanders indicated that firefighting operations would continue. Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht stated that crews would resume their efforts to combat the fire and maintain aircraft support for ground personnel.
The Widemouth 2 fire began from a lightning strike in Fishlake National Forest on July 27 and has burned over 111,000 acres. Containment efforts had reached 24 percent as of Saturday, with officials reporting dangerous fire behavior including crowning and long-range spotting that continues to threaten nearby communities. Utah Governor Spencer Cox characterized wildland firefighting as among the most hazardous professions and called for public support of the affected crew.
This marks Utah’s second fatal wildfire incident within the summer period. Three firefighters died in June while working on the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado border, with a fourth firefighter subsequently succumbing to injuries from that incident.
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