Fish and Wildlife Service officer from Oregon is believed to have died while helping people flee a devastating wildfire in Oklahoma on Saturday, officials say. David Taylor, 38, of Scio, Oregon, was going door to door to help people escape the Railroad fire in Comanche County, Oklahoma, when the flames and smoke overtook him, the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement Sunday. A Navy officer who served in five deployments over 20 years — including in Iraq and Djibouti — Taylor worked as a federal wildlife officer when he wasn’t deployed as a senior chief petty officer in the Navy Reserve, officials said. Officials added that he served as an active-duty Navy sailor prior to shifting into the reserves.
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Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik said that Taylor demonstrated “extraordinary courage and selflessness” in his final moments. “When people were in danger, David was there helping them get to safety,” Nesvik said. “He remained committed to protecting others under the most dangerous circumstances.” 2 dead in Vancouver murder-suicide, police say - OregonLive.com.
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Fish and Wildlife Service officer from Oregon is believed to have died while helping people flee a devastating wildfire in Oklahoma on Saturday, officials say. David Taylor, 38, of Scio, Oregon, was going door to door to help people escape the Railroad fire in Comanche County, Oklahoma, when the flames and smoke overtook him, the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement Sunday. A Navy officer who served in five deployments over 20 years — including in Iraq and Djibouti — Taylor worked as a federal wildlife officer when he wasn’t deployed as a senior chief petty officer in the Navy Reserve, officials said. Officials added that he served as an active-duty Navy sailor prior to shifting into the reserves.