Utah Firefighting Helicopter Crash Kills Two

On August 7, 2026, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane firefighting helicopter crashed near Richfield, United States — Utah, while battling the Widemouth 2 wildfire. The helicopter, operated by Helicopter Transport Services under contract with the United States — United States Forest Service, went down around 10 a.m. local time. The two crew members aboard were killed, as confirmed by the United States — National Interagency Fire Center on August 8. The crash started another fire, delaying recovery efforts due to extreme fire conditions and steep terrain. The Widemouth 2 fire, ignited by lightning on July 27, has burned over 111,000 acres and was 24% contained as of Saturday. The incident is under investigation by the United States — National Transportation Safety Board and the United States — Federal Aviation Administration. United States — Utah Governor Spencer Cox expressed condolences, noting the dangers of wildland firefighting. This is United States — Utah's second fatal wildfire-related event this summer, following the deaths of four firefighters in June. Additionally, a bulldozer operator, Jason Ensign, was killed in a separate United States — Oregon fire on August 6.