Ricky Fulton died in a plane crash while help battling a wildfire. Now, he is being remembered as a "kitten whisperer."
On September 22, 2020, Firefighter/Pilot Ricky Fulton, 58, died after his single-engine air tanker crashed while he was fighting the Schill Fire near Emmett, Idaho. The crash occurred under unknown circumstances and remains under investigation. The aircraft that Firefighter/Pilot Fulton was flying, T-857, was owned by Aero S.E.A.T. Incorporated and was on an on-call contract with BLM Fire and Aviation at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. The Schill Fire started the afternoon of September 22, 2020, in brush and steep terrain. It was contained later that night after it burned about 30 acres. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Our condolences to the Fulton Family & Friends, Aero S.E.A.T. Incorporated, and to all affected by Firefighter/Pilot Ricky Fulton's passing.
To date, 68 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2020. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.
