HELENA — Juliana Turchetti, a wildland firefighting pilot who died fighting the Horse Gulch Fire last July, will be honored at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial on May 4, 2025.
WATCH:
Turchetti, 45 years old, died when her single-engine air tanker crashed into Hauser Lake on July 10, 2024.
Born in Brazil, Turchetti was flying for Dauntless Air and contracted out of Idaho when she was assigned to the Helena area to fight the Horse Gulch Fire.
According to the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial page on Turchetti, she had significant flight experience with nearly 6,500 hours of flight time in aircraft ranging from small planes to large jets like the Boeing 737.
The Horse Gulch Fire burned more than 15,000 acres and cost more than $20 million to fight.
An 18-year-old Lewis & Clark County teen has admitted to playing a role in starting the fire.
The National Fallen Firefighter Memorial service is on Sunday morning in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
A total of 140 fallen firefighters will be honored at the service. In addition to Turchetti, DNRC firefighter John Norris Raisler will also be honored.
Raisler, who is from Miles City, died unexpectedly during training in April of 2024.
