national
Firefighting Helicopter Crashes During Utah Wildfire Response Near Richfield
Just the facts
The Sikorsky S-64 helicopter went down on August 7, 2026, approximately 160 miles south of Salt Lake City near Richfield, Utah, while assisting suppression efforts on the Widemouth 2 wildfire. The Widemouth 2 wildfire was ignited by lightning on July 27 and has burned through more than 105,000 acres of terrain across the region. Emergency responders faced significant access difficulties reaching the crash location because the impact ignited a secondary fire in steep, rugged terrain. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board launched a joint investigation to determine the official cause of the accident.
Why this is news
A Sikorsky S-64 firefighting helicopter carrying two crew members crashed while responding to the Widemouth 2 wildfire near Richfield, Utah. Federal aviation agencies initiated an investigation into the crash as emergency teams attempted to access the remote impact site.
Developments timeline
- Emergency officials confirmed that two crew members onboard the Sikorsky S-64 firefighting helicopter were killed in the crash near Richfield, Utah.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.