Two pilots died Friday morning when their firefighting Sikorsky S-64 helicopter crashed near Richfield, Utah, while battling the Widemouth 2 Fire, officials confirmed. The aircraft, contracted by the U.S. Forest Service, went down around 10 a.m. near the south end of the blaze in Sevier County.
Rescue Efforts Delayed by Flames
The crash occurred near the Three Creeks Reservoir area in the Fishlake National Forest. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, two people were on board the aircraft at the time of the accident. The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed Saturday morning that both individuals died in the crash.
A Dangerous Environment
First responders faced significant obstacles in reaching the crash site due to intense fire activity. Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said that within 30 minutes of the crash, a wall of fire separated responders from the wreckage. Curtis noted that crews observed two columns of smoke on Friday: one from the helicopter wreckage and another from the advancing wildfire.
Due to the dangerous conditions, the sheriff's office had to retreat to prevent further casualties. "If we had not moved some of our responders and the hand crews out, they would have been trapped by the fire as well," Curtis said during a news conference Sunday morning. He added that while the decision was difficult, it was necessary to avoid losing more lives.
Honoring the Fallen
The pilots were employees of Helicopter Transport Services, a company contracted by the U.S. Forest Service to provide aircraft for firefighting efforts. Following the crash, law enforcement and fire departments escorted the two pilots from Richfield north to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Taylorsville on Saturday afternoon.
State Response
Governor Spencer Cox issued a statement following the incident, describing the pilots as individuals who put themselves in harm's way to protect the state. "Wildland firefighting is among the most dangerous jobs in the world. Today is a painful reminder of the extraordinary risks these brave men and women accept to protect us," Cox said in a statement released Friday.
Cox also requested that Utahns keep the responders in their prayers and grant investigators the necessary space to conduct their work. The U.S. Forest Service stated that the crash serves as a reminder of the difficult work required of wildland firefighters and support staff.
Fire Scale and Impact
The Widemouth 2 Fire has become the largest wildfire of Utah's 2026 fire season, surpassing the Babylon Fire, which burned more than 107,000 acres in San Juan County. The Widemouth 2 blaze has grown to over 111,000 acres and has spread rapidly through the Fishlake National Forest.
As of Saturday morning, fire officials reported the blaze was 24% contained. Incident management officials noted that the fire was spreading aggressively to the south, prompting concerns about potential impacts to Interstate 70. Despite the tragedy, fire managers stated they would continue their mission to fight the fire while caring for responders.
Ongoing Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. While NTSB investigators were expected to arrive in Richfield on Saturday evening, they were unable to access the crash site until wildfire conditions became safe. The Federal Aviation Administration is also participating in the investigation.
Flight Restrictions
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice restricting aircraft from flying near the fire, which took effect at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday. The restriction was scheduled to remain in place through 10 p.m. on August 20, 2026, as crews continue to battle the Widemouth 2 blaze.
