August 19, 2022 3:00 p.m. 

Officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management have announced the death of 25-year old wildland firefighter Logan Taylor of Talent, Oregon.

A release from both agencies said on Thursday, shortly after 4:00 pm. dispatchers received information regarding a wildland firefighter that was critically injured after being struck by a tree on the Rum Creek Fire, located north of Galice. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue immediately deployed a helicopter and personnel to the fire and airlifted Taylor out of the mountainous terrain to an awaiting Mercy Flights helicopter, which transported him to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Despite lifesaving efforts by firefighters and EMS personnel assigned to the fire and responding medical staff, Taylor succumbed to his injuries.

The release said Taylor was the operator of Sasquatch Reforestation, an ODF-contracted firefighting company. Tyler McCarty, ODF Southwest Oregon District Forester said, “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”. McCarty said, “Safety remains our top priority. ODF and our partners are committed to learning from this accident and doing everything we can to reduce the risk of similar incidents happening in the future”.

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

The incident is under investigation and more details will be released as they are confirmed.