Three Wildfire Workers Remembered After Losses in Utah and Oregon

In August 2026, a helicopter working on Utah's Widemouth 2 Fire crashed during water-dropping operations. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation reported that both pilots, Christopher Andersen and Miles Elliott, died in the August 7 crash.

The foundation's memorial described the helicopter losing contact before wreckage was located near the fire. Its account identified the pilots and their work without assigning a cause to the crash.

In a separate loss, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced that Jason Ensign died while fighting the Wrights Spring Fire for Green Diamond Resource Company. The department offered condolences to his family and loved ones. These losses reached beyond the fireground to families, colleagues and communities. The accompanying wildfire montage is illustrative, not a verified photograph of either incident.

Sources: Wildland Firefighter Foundation: Christopher Andersen and Miles Elliott Oregon Department of Forestry: Jason Ensign Condolence Statement