Firefighter killed, state of emergency declared as Rum Creek Fire scorches more than 11,000 acres in Oregon
Firefighter Logan Taylor, 25, was killed by a falling tree on Aug. 19 while working to extinguish the Rum Creek Fire.
Fueled by summer heat, Rum Creek Fire in Oregon has burned close to 12K acres
The Rum Creek Fire in Oregon continues to burn growing close to 12,000 acres and is still only 1% contained. Marcus Kauffman, Lead Public Information Officer for the Rum Creek Fire, gives the latest update.
GALICE, Ore. – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to the Rum Creek wildfire burning in the southwestern part of the state near the California border that has claimed the life of a 25-year-old firefighter and destroyed at least three structures.
The Rum Creek Fire has been burning since Aug. 17 after a lightning strike just outside Galice, Oregon, and as of Tuesday has scorched 11,696 acres and is only 1% contained.
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One firefighter was killed one day after the fire began, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 18, officials learned that a firefighter had been critically injured after being struck by a tree while working to extinguish the Rum Creek Fire.
The firefighter, who was identified as 25-year-old Logan Taylor, was flown to a hospital to be treated, but later died.
Watch: Oregon's Rum Creek Fire scorches more than 10,000 acres
The Rum Creek Fire burning in Oregon near the California border has so far burned more than 10,000 acres.
"We are extremely saddened by the passing of Logan Taylor," said Tyler McCarty, of the Oregon Department of Forestry, in a Facebook post. "This loss is deeply felt by our ODF family and throughout the wildland fire community as a whole,"
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The Josephine County Sheriff's Office said several evacuation orders had been given since the fire began, but no new orders have been received as of Sunday night.
For the latest information on evacuation orders, click here or here.
In addition, the Rogue River has been closed to boating from Hog Creek downstream, including Russian Creek and the wild section of the river, according to officials. Recreational boaters will not be able to put in or take out starting at the Hog Creek Boat Ramp downstream to Grave Creek.
Recreation sites along the Rogue River from Hog Creek to Russian Creek are also closed.