Incident
Deputy Blake Wright was killed when he and a firefighter were caught in the middle of a wildfire that had blown out of control in a state park. The wildfire had been started by a neglected campfire and had spread to over 5,000 acres within two hours. Deputy Wright and a civilian county employee, Ralph Braodhead, were constructing a firebreak with a bulldozer when the fire overwhelmed them. After radio contact was lost, searchers found their bodies near the bulldozer. Deputy Wright is survived by his wife and six children. He is buried in Heber City Cemetery.
Survivors
Deputy Wright is survived by his wife and six children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-UT-48D20A6E- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Wright served with the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Heber City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Wright.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Blake V. Wright is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In UT, 49 of 138 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 35.5% of this state's fallen. That is 4.5 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Blake V. Wright's cause is highlighted.
How Blake V. Wright Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Blake V. Wright is highlighted in Aug.