29/09/2026
Tomorrow, Sept 29 at 12:45pm, the U.S. Forest Service Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and partner agencies will take part in the dignified transfer to bring home Ryan Cutter, a local Park City resident, who died while fighting the in California last week. Ryan was a valued member of the northern Utah and wildland fire community, and has left an impact on many. We are proud to help bring him home.
Please help us honor him tomorrow along the procession route below. (No public or media at the airport or past the Summit Park Exit, the end of the procession). Park safely, and avoid blocking any roads. Traffic may be delayed in the area for short times as the procession passes.
The message from the U.S. Forest Service - Payette National Forest Leadership:
Our forest is profoundly sad to report the fatality of two of our helicopter pilots while responding to the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park in California on Sept 20, 2026.
Ryan Cutter and Greg King were members of Precision, working as an Exclusive-Use helicopter for the Payette National Forest. They were assigned to the Price Valley Rappel Crew, working out of New Meadows, Idaho. These were skilled pilots working diligently in suppression efforts and had been instrumental to ground crews in gaining progress on the Dome Fire.
This news weighs heavy for our firefighters assigned to this aircraft, those working on the fire, as well as the overall wildland firefighting community and our agency. We want to emphasize our gratitude for the diligence of the first responders who prioritized the safe recovery of the pilots from the scene, and the effort to bring them home quickly.
A dignified transfer home will occur Tuesday Sept 29, 2026. Greg will return to Palmer, Alaska via Palmer Airport. Ryan will return to Park City, Utah via Heber Airport. There will be an honor procession at both locations to bring the pilots home to their families. Procession details will be provided at each location respectively. We ask for privacy of the families and employees impacted.
Tragedies of this nature serve as a reminder of the admirable work by our employees and partners. The hardest thing we encounter as land managers is the loss of life. We honor these pilots by supporting those who remain on scene fighting this and other fires, caring for one another affected by this tragedy, and never forgetting the extraordinary example they set with their ultimate sacrifice.
Payette National Forest Leadership
