Crash of a helicopter helping to fight a Colorado wildfire leaves the pilot dead

Firefighters drive along Highway 550 as they try to access the Gold Mountain Fire on the town line of Ouray and Ridgeway, Colo., on Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Michael Seamans/The Gazette via AP)

GUNNISON, Colo. —A helicopter helping fight a Colorado wildfire has crashed into a reservoir, killing the pilot, authorities said.

The aircraft was reported down Sunday in the Silver Jack Reservoir and the pilot’s body was recovered by divers. The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office identified the pilot as 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, British Columbia.

A procession of law enforcement vehicles carried Dale’s body from Gunnison to Grand Junction on Monday. The convoy was greeted by residents who wanted to show their support for the pilot and the thousands of firefighters assigned to blazes burning across the West.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said state flags will fly at half-staff when a memorial service is scheduled for Dale, a contract pilot.

“We are committed to supporting our brave firefighters and their families, and the state stands ready to support any investigation into this tragic incident,” Polis said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Kaman Aerospace K-1200 helicopter that “crashed under unknown circumstances, becoming inverted,” according to its preliminary report. Federal registration data shows the helicopter was owned by Georgia-based Helicopter Express.

The pilot, the only person on board, was assisting firefighters with the 2-week-old Gold Mountain Fire, which has grown to about 57 square miles (148 square kilometers) in southwestern Colorado. It was 11% contained as of early Monday.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, the FAA said in a statement.

Last week, wildland firefighters in Colorado gathered to pay tribute to three of their own who died after they were trapped by flames on the Colorado-Utah border.

Many large fires are still going strong across the West. They are scattered around Colorado, Utah and New Mexico while there are wildfires in eight other states -- from Alaska to Arizona.

The Associated Press