Summit Park community invited to welcome Ryan Cutter home

Ryan Cutter and Greg King died Sunday fighting a fire in Yosemite National Park. Photo: Fly Precision

Neighbors are invited to line Aspen, Maple and Crestview drives Tuesday afternoon as a procession brings the Summit Park pilot, who died fighting the Dome Fire in Yosemite, home

UPDATE: Summit County honors fallen wildfire helicopter pilot Ryan Cutter as procession comes home to Summit Park

SUMMIT PARK, Utah — A dignified transfer and procession will be held Tuesday afternoon to bring Summit Park resident Ryan Cutter home to Utah after he was killed while fighting the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park.

The U.S. Forest Service Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and partner agencies will participate in the dignified transfer beginning around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Heber Airport.

Cutter, 46, and fellow pilot Greg King were killed Sept. 20 when their firefighting helicopter crashed while conducting water drops on the Dome Fire. Cutter worked for Precision and was assigned to the Price Valley Rappel Crew operating out of New Meadows, Idaho. TownLift previously reported that Cutter was based in Park City and had worked as a fire helicopter pilot for about a decade.

Following the transfer, a procession will travel through Heber City and along U.S. 40 before continuing toward Summit Park. The procession is expected to reach the Interstate 80 Summit Park exit between approximately 1:15 and 1:45 p.m.

Utah Fire Info is inviting community members to honor Cutter along the public procession route. Officials are asking members of the public and media not to gather at Heber Airport or continue beyond the Summit Park exit. Those attending are asked to park safely and avoid blocking roads. Brief traffic delays are possible as the procession passes.

Cutter and King were working as pilots for an exclusive-use helicopter assigned to the Payette National Forest when they died. Forest officials described both men as skilled pilots whose work had been instrumental in helping ground crews make progress on the Dome Fire.

“Ryan was a valued member of the northern Utah and wildland fire community, and has left an impact on many,” Utah Fire Info said in announcing Tuesday’s procession.

Cutter will return to Utah through Heber Airport, while King will be returned to Palmer, Alaska, where a separate honor procession is planned.