Who are the LA wildfire victims? Amputee and beloved grandmother among casualties in devastating fires

The toll of LA wildfire victims rose to 16 on Saturday, with over 13 reported missing. The disaster has led to the evacuation of over 180,000 people from their homes across LA County, while over 12,000 structures have been razed.

Anthony and Justin Mitchell, Altadena residents, were among the LA wildfire victims who couldn’t escape from the disaster. The father and son duo suffered from health and mobility conditions. On the other hand, Erliene Kelly, another Altadena resident, stayed back as the growing Eaton fire raged, and lost her life. Other casualties of the disaster include Rory Callum Sykes, Victor Shaw, and Rodney Nickerson.

Here’s more about the LA wildfire victims who lost their lives to the calamity.

More about the LA wildfire victims

As of January 11, the authorities confirmed 16 casualties caused by the wildfires across LA County, though the actual number is still unclear. The LA wildfire victims included an amputee father, his son with cerebral palsy, a loving grandmother, a former child actor, among others. Read on to know more about the LA wildfire victims.

Anthony Mitchell and his son Justin

Justin Mitchell lost his life along with his father, Anthony, in the Eaton fire. A cerebral palsy patient, Justin was in his 20s and bedridden, while his 67-year-old father was an amputee. According to Anthony Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, the father-son pair failed to evacuate oncew the fire broke out in Altadena.

White told The Washington Post that she had talked to her father on January 8. Talking to the paper, she shared a recollection of the conversation:

“He said, ‘Baby, I’m just letting you know the fire’s broke out, and we’re going to have to evacuate. Then he said, ‘I’ve gotta go — the fire’s in the yard.’”

A few hours after their conversation ended, Hajime White got the news of the passing of her dad and brother. Talking about the news, White recalled:

“It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me.”

Anthony’s other son Jordan, who was also residing with them in their Altadena home, was admitted to a hospital on the day of the tragedy.

Erliene Kelly

Erliene Kelly was one of the LA wildfire victims who lost their lives in the Eaton fire. Kelly lived with four other family members, including her granddaughter, Briana Navarro. On the day of evacuation, when Navarro, her husband, and their two daughters were fleeing from their Altadena home, Kelly decided to stay back. Navarro talked to NBC News about the same. She said:

“My husband, he's not from out here, so he kind of was looking at it a little different than we were. We asked [my grandmother] ... and she's like, 'No, no I'm fine. You guys go ahead.'"

Navarro recalled that the police informed her family about the passing of their grandmother on Thursday. Unfortunately, the family of four also lost their home to the Eaton fire. After the loss, the Navarro family has set up a GoFundMe page seeking assistance to rebuild their home.

For the uninitiated, Kelly had lived in her LA home for more than 40 years and witnessed many wildfires, which never reached the house.

Victor Shaw

The 66-year-old Victor Shaw lost his life in the Eaton fire on Tuesday night. One of the LA wildfire victims, Shaw, reportedly succumbed while fighting the fire in a bid to save his home. According to family friend Al Tanner, Shaw’s body was found “on the side of a road" on Wednesday. "He still had a garden hose in his hand at the time of his death," Tanner added.

Victor’s sister, Shari Shaw, who lso lived in the house, told KTLA:

“When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn't reply back, and I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm. I looked behind me, and the house was starting to go up in flames, and I had to leave."

As per Tanner, Shaw had resided in the California house for more than five decades.

Rodney Kent Nickerson

The 83-year-old Rodney Kent Nickerson was one of the LA wildfire victims who lost their lives in Altadena. Nickerson had refused to evacuate when the Eaton fire started getting dangerous. Rodney Kent Nickerson had been a resident in the impacted neighborhood for decades, according to his daughter Kimiko. She told CBS News:

“My son tried to get him to leave, and my neighbors and myself, and he said, ‘I’ll be fine and I’ll be here when you guys come back.’ He said his house would be here. His house was here and he was here too. He was in his bed when I found him.”

Nickerson was a former employee of American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin. He had reportedly worked at the firm for 45 years as a project engineer.

Rory Callum Sykes

Rory Callum Sykes was a gamer and a former child actor who became one of the LA wildfire victims in Malibu. The news was confirmed by Rory’s mother, Shelley Sykes, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to pen an emotional post. According to Shelly, Rory was in a cottage built on his family-owned “17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studio” estate when the fire broke out. She said:

“ I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by @LVMWD Las Virgenes Municipal Water. Even the 50 brave fire fighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed by @shelleysykes, mama his pet peacocks Edgee & Mickie & all his online fans around the world!”

Rory, who had Cerebral Palsy, was born blind and had difficulty walking. According to Shelley, he had regained his vision and learned to walk with “surgeries and therapies.” For those unaware, Rory had appeared in the 1998 Australian TV series, Kiddy Kapers, with his mother.

Unfortunately, multiple other LA wildfire victims have lost their lives or are currently missing. Currently, the Palisades and Eaton fires are still endangering the LA residents, with 10% and 15% containment, respectively. Around 37,000 areas have been burnt, while many non-fatal LA wildfire victims have suffered several burn injuries.