Firefighter Killed Fighting Rum Creek Fire Identified

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — A wildland firefighter has died in the line of duty in Southern Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management say 25-year-old Logan Taylor of Talent, Oregon died Thursday while fighting the Rum Creek Fire.

The death is under investigation, but it’s believed Taylor died after being hit by a falling tree.

“We are extremely saddened by the passing of Logan Taylor.  This loss is deeply felt by our ODF family and throughout the wildland fire community as a whole,” said Tyler McCarty, ODF Southwest Oregon District Forester.  “Safety remains our top priority. ODF and our partners are committed to learning from this accident and to doing everything we can to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.”

Recue crews used a helicopter to reach him and rush him to a Medford hospital, where he died.

“A loss of a firefighter’s life impacts the whole firefighting community, and we send our condolences to the family friends and coworkers,” said Elizabeth Burghard, BLM Medford District Manager.  “Safety is the number one priority for the BLM and our wildland firefighting partners. We want every firefighter to come home safely each day.”

This is the second death of a firefighter in Oregon this summer.