Chief Of Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department Dies At 75

HOLY JIM CANYON, CA — Mike Milligan, Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department Chief and passionate advocate for the remote cabin community of Holy Jim Canyon, died on Aug. 19 in his sleep, the department reported. He was 75.

"We are heart sick at the loss of this magnanimous man whose love for the canyons, the cabins and the people was bigger than the mountains that contain them," The department said in a statement. "His passion was to protect property, people and the forest."

Milligan had been sick for roughly a week with flu-like symptoms prior to his death, daughter Katie Saalfeld told the Orange County Register. He served as chief of the Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department for roughly 50 years.

During his lifetime, Milligan made it known that his life's mission was to protect Holy Jim Canyon from both fires and "wayward" land-and-use policies enacted by the federal and state governments, the OC Register reported.

To learn more about Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan's life and legacy, read the full article on the Orange County Register.