Utah wildfire response continues regardless of lack of helicopter crew, with containment standing at 24 p.c.
Printed On 9 Aug 2026
A pilot and one crew member have been confirmed lifeless after their firefighting helicopter crashed whereas battling a large wildfire in central Utah.
The Sikorsky S-64 ‘Skycrane’, operated by Helicopter Transport Providers beneath contract with the USA Forest Service, went down about 10am native time on Friday (16:00 GMT) close to Richfield, within the Three Creeks Reservoir space southwest of the town, near the southeastern fringe of the Widemouth 2 hearth.
Really helpful Tales
checklist of three gadgetsfinish of checklist
The Nationwide Interagency Hearth Heart (NIFC) confirmed the deaths on Saturday, greater than 24 hours after the crash, saying the 2 crew members had been “fatally injured” and prolonged its “condolences to the family and friends of the deceased”.
In a state of affairs report, the NIFC stated excessive hearth circumstances and steep terrain had stored rescue groups from reaching the wreckage. The our bodies had been recovered on Saturday, however the names of the deceased haven’t been launched.
The NIFC has issued evacuations for residents within the space and imposed street closures.
Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht stated on Friday that crews took a “tactical pause” to regroup after the crash earlier than resuming their firefighting work.
“It’s not going to alter how we function,” Hecht stated. “We’re going to proceed to combat hearth and make the most of plane to help our firefighters on the bottom.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox referred to as wildland firefighting “among the many most harmful jobs on the planet” and requested residents to maintain the crew “in your prayers”.
The Utah Freeway Patrol organised a procession Saturday night to escort the stays of the “fallen heroes”.
The Widemouth 2 hearth ignited from a lightning strike in Fishlake Nationwide Forest on July 27 and has since burned greater than 111,000 acres (45,000 hectares), placing it on tempo to develop into Utah’s largest wildfire this 12 months.
Officers listed containment at 24 p.c on Saturday, with excessive hearth behaviour – together with crowning and long-range recognizing – nonetheless threatening close by communities.
That is Utah’s second deadly wildfire incident this summer season. Three firefighters died in June whereas battling the Knowles and Gore fires close to the Colorado border. A fourth firefighter later died from accidents sustained within the incident.
