Gov. Kotek orders flags lowered to honor firefighting pilot

Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered flags at Oregon public institutions be flown at half-staff Wednesday and Thursday to honor a pilot who died fighting the Falls Fire .

James Bailey Maxwell, 74, died July 25 after the single engine air tanker he was piloting disappeared over the Malheur National Forest. Maxwell, an Idaho resident, had 54 years of flying experience and was assisting on a lightning start in the vicinity of the Falls Fire.

Search and rescue officials located the plane wreckage Friday morning near Seneca. Maxwell was the only occupant of the plane. His death marks the sixth firefighting death in Oregon since 2020.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Mr. Maxwell while he fought the Falls Fire. On behalf of Oregon, I want to extend my condolences to Mr. Maxwell’s family, loved ones, and fellow firefighters,” Kotek said in a news release. “I would also like to thank the search and rescue team for their quick recovery efforts to bring Mr. Maxwell home.”

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Gov. Kotek orders flags lowered to honor firefighting pilot