Two Firefighting Crew Members Killed in Utah Helicopter Crash Amid Widemouth 2 Wildfire
A Sikorsky S-64 helicopter contracted to fight the Widemouth 2 Fire crashed near Richfield, Utah, killing the pilot and a crew member, with authorities still unable to confirm victim status.
A helicopter operating under a contract with the U.S. Forest Service crashed near Richfield, Utah, while combating the Widemouth 2 Fire that has burned more than 111,000 acres. Officials from the National Interagency Fire Center said the pilot and a crewmember died, though fire officials later noted that the victims' status had not been confirmed because responders could not reach the site due to ongoing fire growth and unsafe conditions.
The Sikorsky S-64 aircraft went down at about 10:40 a.m. on Friday, igniting a brush fire that further hampered county search and rescue efforts. The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, with the cause still unknown.
"We ask that the public refrain from spreading rumors or guessing about this incident. There have already been many false reports and rumors, and the victims deserve the highest level of respect and avoidance of speculation," officials said.
The Widemouth 2 Fire is now the largest wildfire of Utah's 2026 fire season, surpassing the Babylon Fire that burned over 107,000 acres in San Juan County.