First details of ten victims in LA wildfires emerge including tragic amputee & his bedbound son who couldn’t flee flames
THE heartbreaking first details of the ten victims killed by LA’s apocalyptic wildfires have emerged including an amputee trapped with his bedbound son.
This out-of-control blaze has forced more than 180,000 to flee to safety but families have been struck with horror as the terror flames stole several lives.
Amputee Anthony Mitchell, 67, was tragically found dead alongside his bedridden son Justin, who was in his early 20s, after the Eaton Fire raged through their home.
The wheelchair-using great-grandfather of 10 lived in Altadena with his boy, who suffered from cerebral palsy, Anthony’s daughter Hajime White told The Washington Post.
Hajime, who lives in Arkansas, revealed that her retired salesman father desperately called her on Wednesday morning as the fires came ever closer to their family home.
“He said, ‘Baby, I’m just letting you know the fire’s broke out, and we’re going to have to evacuate,’” Hajime recounted.
“Then he said, ‘I’ve got to go — the fire’s in the yard.’”
Anthony also lived with his other son Jordan, in his 20s, but was spared this horrifying fate as he was in hospital with an infection.
Hajime revealed she was told the heartwrenching news that Anthony and Justin did not survive the terror blaze.
“He was not going to leave his son behind. No matter what,” she said.
“It’s very hard. It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me.”
SISTER’S HEARTBREAK
The first victim of the hell fires to be identified was Victor Shaw who was tragically found still holding a garden hose outside his Montrose Avenue home.
Victor, 66, stayed behind as his sister, who he shared his house of 55 years with, desperately fled at the last minute to save her life.
Shari Shaw explained how she made a mad dash for the front door when the flames started to creep into their property, according to KTLA.
She said Victor told her he would stay behind in a heartbreaking attempt to save his place from the murderous flames.
“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 had to save myself,” Shari said.
“And I looked behind me, and the house was starting to go up in flames, and I had to leave.”
Those close to the 66-year-old revealed he suffered from health issues that made moving difficult.
FAMILY NIGHTMARE
The family of Rodney Nickerson, 83, described their horror ordeal when they found their beloved grandfather charred inside his house.
Rodney was discovered dead in his bed on Thursday after his Altadena home was reduced to rubble and ash.
The grandfather refused to evacuate his prized home, which he bought for $5 in 1968.
His daughter Kimiko Nickerson told CBS her harrowing story whilst standing outside her decimated lifelong home.
She said: “We found his bones, his whole body was there, intact.
“This is the house that I came home to as a child and I’ve been here my whole life and I don’t know anywhere else other than here — myself and my brother and my son Chase and his other grandchildren.”
She described her family’s desperate plea to the 83-year-old to flee with them.
“My son tried to get him to leave and my neighbors and myself and he said he’ll be fine. ‘I’ll be here when you guys come back’ and he said his house would be here,” she added.
‘PERFECT NEIGHBOR’
Retired pharmacist Erliene Kelly was also killed by the wildfire in her Altadena home.
Erliene was adored by her neighbors who called her “an angel”, according to the New York Times.
“That’s the perfect neighbor. When you see her, you have a smile,” neighbor Terry Pyburn said.
“It was panic. Everyone took off and no one thought to check on anybody,” Pyburn added.
“I think the notice came too late.”
'War zone' LA feels 'broken' as fires still ravage the city - but we will rebuild
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
RAGING FLAMES
Over 10,000 homes have been burnt to ashes as firefighters struggle to contain the hurricane-wind-fueled flames.
So far, authorities have confirmed ten deaths – but it is feared the toll could be much higher as the flames continue to spread.
Five blazes are currently ripping through the iconic city after the wildfire started around 10:30am on Tuesday.
The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, Kenneth Fire, and Lidia Fire are raging across the north of the city.
A-LIST LOSS
Celebrities in the uber-expensive areas of Malibu and Pacific Palisades have also been forced the evacuate as some of their mansions quickly turned to nothing.
Yesterday socialite Paris Hilton revealed her $8.4 million waterfront Malibu mansion had been turned to ash by the wind-fuelled blazes.
She has since made an emotional return to the charred remains, calling her heartbreak at what has happened “truly indescribable”.
Reality TV couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag’s home was one of the first celebrity mansions to be decimated
Spencer later returned to the nightmare scene reportedly trying to salvage crystals and any other personal belongings in the devastating aftermath.
Tom Hanks, 68, and Steven Spielberg, 78, had their homes narrowly spared in the fires.
Hanks’ clifftop mansion in the Pacific Palisades managed to come out unscathed, with the huge structure keeping its bright white color and lush green lawn.
Meanwhile, Spielberg’s home and the surrounding greenery were miraculously avoided by the blaze that tore down neighboring properties.
Celebrities lose homes to wildfires
The wildfires haven't spared the homes of the rich and famous with Hollywood A-listers tragically seeing their houses turned to smouldering rubble.
Those who have had their homes burned down include:
- John Goodman
- Anthony Hopkins
- Paris Hilton
- Leighton Meester and Adam Brody
- Billy Crystal
- Miles Teller
- Eugene Levy
- Anna Faris
- Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
- James Woods
- Hunter Biden
- Mel Gibson
Other celebrities have been forced to flee their homes after evacuation orders were issued around the Palisades fire and the Sunset fire.
They include:
- Mark Hamill
- Mandy Moore
- Tom Hanks
- Reese Witherspoon
- Ben Affleck