The wildland firefighting community in Oregon and beyond mourns the loss of one of their own. The Grant County Sheriff in eastern Oregon confirmed that SEAT pilot James Bailey Maxwell, 74, was killed while working near the Falls Fire near Seneca on the Malheur National Forest on July 25, 2024.
The BLM said Maxwell had dropped retardant on the Parasol Fire north of the Falls Fire and was returning to the base at Burns to reload. He disappeared just before 7:00 p.m. Thursday. Owned and operated by North Dakota-based Aerial Timber Applicators, the aircraft was reported missing and triggered a search by numerous agencies including a night-flying helicopter with the Oregon National Guard.
Search and rescue teams searched overnight and located the aircraft Friday morning in steep terrain.
The Falls Fire today is almost 70 percent contained at 142,30 acres.
The Maxwell family and firefighters are grateful for the support expressed throughout the community and online. Services have not yet been announced and the family requests time and privacy.
I worked with and around Maxwell for several seasons. Always calm and kept me laffin’. The last time I saw Jim was in Winnemucca.
The world just got uglier. Verdammt…………
Fair skies to Capt. Maxwell ….
Save us seats at the coffee shop.