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Robert E. Kelly

Aerial Firefighter/Chief Pilot

On July 29, Pilots Bob Kelly and Randy Lynn of Neptune, Inc., were killed when their airtanker crashed after dropping retardant on a wildfire.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Robert E. Kelly was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

U.S. Forest Service, Missoula Aerial Fire Depot
Missoula International Airport
5225 Hwy 10 West, Box 17
Missoula, Montana 59802

Chief: Mark Timmons (Neptune Inc. - Contract)

Age: 58
Rank: Aerial Firefighter/Chief Pilot
Classification: Career
Incident date: July 29, 1994
Date of death: July 29, 1994
Cause of death: Struck By
Nature of death: Burns
Activity type: Driving/Operating Vehicle/Apparatus
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property

Last updated: June 13, 2012

Watch America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters

Honoring line-of-duty deaths in 2019