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Helicopter Crash Kills Two Pilots During Utah Wildfire Operations
Just the facts
Two pilots employed by Helicopter Transport Services died on Friday morning when their Sikorsky Skycrane crashed in Fishlake National Forest while fighting the Widemouth 2 wildfire. The Sevier County Sheriff and Coroner confirmed the deaths on Saturday, August 8, after search crews were able to safely access the crash location near Richfield, Utah. The impact ignited an adjacent fire that merged with the existing Widemouth 2 blaze, expanding its size to over 114,600 acres with 24 percent containment. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were dispatched to examine the scene and evaluate the structural wreckage to determine the cause of the incident.
Why this is news
On August 7, 2026, a Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter operated by Helicopter Transport Services crashed while carrying out firefighting duties over the Widemouth 2 wildfire in Sevier County, Utah.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.