The aircraft, a Sikorsky S-64 heavy-lift helicopter, was on contract with the U.S. Forest Service.
The crash occurred near Richfield, approximately 160 miles south of Salt Lake City, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Specifically, Sevier County Sheriff’s officials stated the accident took place in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield and near the southeast end of the Widemouth 2 Fire.
Challenges in Recovery and Investigation
Accessing the wreckage proved difficult as the crash ignited a new fire and the site eventually fell within the footprint of the existing blaze. Incident commander Tony DeMasters noted that these factors complicated efforts to reach the wreckage. Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis stated that response teams were initially held back to avoid putting personnel at “bigger risk.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA are conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash. NTSB investigators were scheduled to arrive in Richfield by Saturday evening, though they indicated they would have to wait for fire conditions to subside to a safe level before they could travel to the site and retrieve the aircraft.
The Widemouth 2 Fire
The helicopter was one of seven aircraft assigned to battle the Widemouth 2 Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 27 within the Fishlake National Forest near Kanosh. Other reports indicated the fire had grown to 165 square miles and was 19% contained by Friday morning.
As of Friday, the firefighting effort included 632 total personnel, utilizing 23 engines, nine dozers, and nine water tenders alongside the helicopters. The fire has destroyed at least six structures and triggered evacuations as it burns through grass, brush, and timber. Officials noted that the southern end of the fire, nearing I-70, has been one of the most active sections.
Tyler Hecht, deputy incident commander for the Great Basin Incident Management Team 2, stated that while conditions were good enough for aircraft to fly at the time of the accident, the helicopter had been working in an area with steep terrain. Hecht described the mood among crews as “somber,” noting that while firefighting efforts took a tactical pause following the crash, they later resumed to protect local communities and the I-70 corridor.
Dangerous Conditions and Regional Context
Fire crews had been warned Friday morning of red flag warnings, including hot temperatures, dry fuels, and erratic winds, with the potential for lightning and dry thunderstorms. Jamie Barnes, director of Utah’s division of forestry, described recent fires as defying historical expectations, stating that some are behaving in ways veteran firefighters have not seen before.
The incident occurred during a deadly season for wildland firefighters in the West. In a separate June incident in Colorado, four firefighters were killed and one injured after being overrun by a fast-moving wildfire despite deploying emergency shelters.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox addressed the risks of the profession on social media, stating, 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.
Aircraft Specifications
The downed aircraft was a Sikorsky S-64, also known as a “Skycrane.” According to Siller Helicopters, this heavy-lift model is commonly used for firefighting and can be configured with either a bucket or fixed tanks to drop water or fire retardant onto blazes.
