As a helicopter pilot fighting fires for the United States Forest Service, Dennis Davis died in a helicopter accident, doing the job that he loved. His career in the fire service started when he volunteered for his local fire department as a teenager. He joined the military in 1965 and started out in firefighting, before attending Warrant Officer School to become a helicopter pilot. He served in Vietnam, flying Medevac, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star Medal. He had planned to make this his last fire season.