Los Angeles wildfires leave 10 dead as details emerge about victims
The wildfires raging through Los Angeles County Friday have killed at least 10 as details are emerging about the victims, including one reported to have been found clutching a garden hose in his hand while trying to defend his family home of more than 50 years.
Victor Shaw, 66, was identified by KTLA as one of the fatalities from the devastating Eaton Fire centered around the city of Pasadena. His sister Shari told the station that Victor said he wanted to stay behind Tuesday night to try to fight the flames, but a family friend said his body was discovered the next day on the side of a road with a hose.
"They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace," Shari Shaw told KTLA.
The five wildfires active in Los Angeles County on Friday – the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hurst Fire and Lidia Fire, have so far burned more than 30,000 combined acres, according to Cal Fire.
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The agency says the largest – the Palisades Fire – has scorched nearly 20,000 acres and is only 6% contained. Across the county, more than 10,000 homes and businesses have been burned.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a man on Thursday who was allegedly "attempting to light a fire," as wildfires continued to ravage the area.
The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage.
Right now, it’s impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than "total devastation and loss," Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, told The Associated Press.
"There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt," Bruderlin said.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday night that it has "received notification of 10 fire-related deaths." At least five have been reported from the Eaton Fire and two from the Palisades Fire.
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Two of the dead in Altadena were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.
Rodney Nickerson, an 83-year-old grandfather, was also found dead in Altadena, according to CBS News.
"We found his bones, his whole body was intact," his daughter Kimiko said to the station, which reported that Nickerson was discovered in his bed among the rubble and ash.
Another victim was identified by the New York Times as Erliene Kelley, a retired pharmacy technician who reportedly lived near Shaw and Nickerson.
"She was an angel," neighbor Terry Pyburn told the newspaper. "That’s the perfect neighbor. When you see her, you have a smile."
Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett and The Associated Press contributed to this report.