A pilot and one crew member died when their firefighting helicopter crashed while combating a large wildfire in central Utah on Friday, August 9, 2026.

The Sikorsky S-64 ‘Skycrane’, operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the United States Forest Service, went down around 10 a.m. local time near Richfield, in the Three Creeks Reservoir area southwest of the city, close to the southeastern edge of the Widemouth 2 fire.

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed the fatalities on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the crash, describing the crew members as “fatally injured” and extending condolences to their families.

According to a situation report from the NIFC, extreme fire conditions and steep terrain prevented rescue teams from reaching the wreckage promptly.

Deputy incident commander Tyler Hecht stated that crews took a “tactical pause” to regroup after the crash before resuming firefighting operations. He emphasized that the incident would not change their approach, saying, “We’re going to continue to fight fire and utilize aircraft to support our firefighters on the ground.”

Despite the tragedy, wildfire suppression efforts in Utah continued, with containment reported at 24 percent.

Sources