A man battling to save his family home of 55 years, a great-grandfather of 10 and his adult son with cerebral palsy, a Malibu “legend” known as “Crawdaddy,” a 64-year-old hang glider, and a former child actor are among the at least 24 people killed by the devastating fires still tearing through Los Angeles. 

Five fires have burned more than 10,000 structures across the City of Angels and are still raging out of control — with the two largest, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, fueled by strong winds.

At least 16 people were killed by the Eaton Fire — making it the fifth-deadliest fire in California’s history — and eight by the Palisades. Officials have warned that the death toll will likely grow. 

“At some point, we’ll be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas — some of them look like a bomb was dropped on them — where we will be able to bring in canines and other things to help us [and] hopefully not discover too many fatalities,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday.

By 5 p.m. Sunday, the Los Angeles County medical examiner announced that its office had received notice of 24 fire-related deaths. 

Several of the victims lived just blocks away from one another in Altadena, a neighborhood near Pasadena home to many working- and middle-class families, including black homeowners who have been in the community for decades.

The Eaton Fire devoured the community, parts of which have become more affluent in recent years. 

Related Video

The body of Victor Shaw, the first victim of the fires to be identified, was discovered badly burned and still holding a garden house outside his family home of 55 years on Wednesday morning. 

Shaw, 66, had refused to evacuate and instead stayed behind to try to save the home he shared with his sister on Monterose Avenue, KTLA reported. 

His younger sister, Shari Shaw, was with her brother as the flames crept onto their home Tuesday night and described in agony how she lost sight of him as she fled for her life. 

“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 that I had to save myself,” Shari told KTLA.

“And I looked behind me, and the house was starting to go up in flames, and I had to leave.”

She said he wanted to stay behind to try to battle the blaze, even though he suffered health issues that limited his mobility. 

A family friend found Victor’s charred remains on the side of the road the next morning with the garden house in his hands. 

Shari said she “fell to the ground” when she learned the horrible news — and couldn’t bring herself to look at her dead brother.

“They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace,” she said.

Retired salesman Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his bedridden son Justin, who was in his 20s, died when the Eaton Fire hit Altadena on Wednesday, his daughter Hajime White told the Washington Post.

Anthony was a great-grandfather of 10 who used a wheelchair to get around and lived with Justin, who had cerebral palsy.

Anthony had called White, who lives in Arkansas, Wednesday morning to let her know they were evacuating their home.

“He said, ‘Baby, I’m just letting you know the fire’s broken out, and we’re going to have to evacuate,’” she recalled.

“Then he said, ‘I’ve gotta go — the fire’s in the yard.’”

A few hours later, she learned her father and brother were killed when the blaze tore through the region.

“It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me,” she told WaPo.

Anthony — a big-hearted man who “had nicknames for everybody” — had four children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, White said.

Her half-brother Justin used a computer to communicate and read, she added.

“He was not going to leave his son behind. No matter what,” White said of her father.

Family members found 83-year-old Rodney Nickerson dead in his bed Thursday amid the rubble of the Altadena home he purchased in 1968 for $5 after the beloved grandfather refused to evacuate, his daughter told CBS News.

“We found his bones, his whole body was there, intact,” Kimiko Nickerson said outside the ruins of the only place she called home. 

“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 added. “This is where we’ve been our whole life.”

Rodney refused to leave his home of decades despite Kimiko’s and her 25-year-old son’s desperate pleas. 

“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,” the grieving daughter said. “His house is here and he was here too.”

Rodney was a retired project engineer for Lockheed Martin, where he worked for 45 years alongside his late wife, Kimiko said. 

The Nickerson family has strong roots in the community. 

Rodney’s grandfather and Kimiko’s great-grandfather William Nickerson was the founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Los Angeles’ largest public housing development, Nickerson Gardens in Watts, is named after him.

Erliene Kelly, a retired pharmacy technician, similarly died in the Altadena home she lived in for years, according to family members and neighbors, the New York Times reported.

Kelly, 83, had worked at Rite Aid and was beloved by her longtime neighbors, who described her as “so, so, so sweet.”

“She was an angel,” neighbor Terry Pyburn told the newspaper. “That’s the perfect neighbor. When you see her, you have a smile.”

Pyburn and Kelly would often make small talk about neighborly things like gardening and the local news, he added. 

Pyburn said many people in the neighborhood rushed to evacuate at the last minute due to what he said was poor communication from officials. He and his wife initially believed that they were not in the evacuation zone — until they started smelling smoke. 

“It was panic. Everyone took off and no one thought to check on anybody,” Pyburn told the Times. “I think the notice came too late.”

An 85-year-old woman was killed in the Palisades Fire after she refused to leave her home and pets behind as the raging infernos broke out in Los Angeles earlier this week, her home-health care company confirmed.

Annette Rossilli rejected offers from a caregiver to leave her home as the Palisades Fire broke out Tuesday morning, opting instead to remain with her dog, canary, two parrots and turtle, according to Fay Vahdani, president of Luxe Homecare, CNN reported. 

The body of the mother of two, who lived alone and received in-home care three days a week, was found in her car by firefighters on Wednesday, Vahdani and Rossilli’s family told the outlet.

Rossilli, who ran a plumbing business in Pacific Palisades with her late husband for several years, was described as a kind, friendly and grateful person, according to Luxe Homecare.

Fires raging across Los Angeles have killed at least 11 people, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Friday, the outlet reported.

Rory Callum Sykes, a blind Australian former child actor, was killed Wednesday when the Palisades Fire tore through his family’s Malibu estate and his mother claimed water ran out.

Sykes, 32, had cerebral palsy and in 1998 appeared in a handful of episodes of the British TV show “Kiddy Kapers,” which was hosted by his mother, author Shelley Sykes.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son to the Malibu fires yesterday,” Shelley Sykes wrote on X.

“He overcame so much with surgeries & therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk. Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica,” she added.

Sykes was born blind and diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

The cottage caught fire when embers from the deadly blaze landed on the roof, trapping him inside, according to 10 News First.

The heartbroken Shelley said she attempted to move her son out of the burning building but an injury stopped her.

“He said ‘Mom leave me’ and no mom can leave their kid,” she told the outlet fighting through tears.

“I’ve got a broken arm, I couldn’t lift him, I couldn’t move him,” she added.

Firefighters told Sykes that her son died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“I didn’t want any pain for my baby,” Sykes cried.

Sykes was a former child actor and hosted the British RTV Show “Kiddy Kapers” in 1998, according to NewsAU.

The Malibu estate was featured on Shelley Sykes’ reality TV show “Get Syked with Style.” He later described himself as a “gamer and a philanthropist,” his website read.

Arthur Simoneau, an avid hang glider with daredevil hobbies that didn’t stop with age, died in the Palisades Fire while trying to save his home in Topanga, his family said.

Simoneau, 64, was a member of the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association, where he served as a mentor to many, according to the association’s Facebook.

The association will be planning a memorial for Simoneau. 

“Courage in the face of danger. So many cut and run when danger presents. Others stay, stand and fight. I’m proud of Arthur. I’ll miss my kind, brave flying friend,” a member of the group wrote on Facebook.

A GoFundMe campaign set up by his son described Simoneau as a man who led by example and dedicated himself to helping others live to the fullest.

“Those of us close to him always knew he wouldn’t die of old age or illness. Between hang gliding multiple times per week, riding motorcycles with a ‘for novelty use only’ helmet, and skiing rock-lined chutes at Social Security age, it was always in the back of our heads that he would die in spectacular Arthur fashion,” his son wrote. 

“Unfortunately, he died in the Palisades fire protecting his house doing what he did best: being a badass and doing something only he was brave enough (or crazy enough) to do.”

Randall Miod, 55, was a “local Malibu icon [and] legend” who lived and died in the place where he fostered a community when the Palisades fire overtook his Malibu home, his friend Jeff Kantor wrote on Facebook.

“His spirit and laughter was so infectious…I don’t know one person in a Malibu who didn’t like or love The Craw.. From the days in the early 90s at the Malibu Inn to today we stayed good friends … We will never forget you  Crawdaddy!!! I don’t think there is a dry eye in Malibu at this moment,” Kantor wrote.

Miod’s mother told The New York Times that he would ditch school to pursue his favorite passion – surfing. 

“At one point in time, I hid his surfboard and he was furious. Typical teenage stuff,” she said in a statement.

In his 20s, Miod rented a studio apartment in Malibu that was part of the home he would later purchase, she wrote. The house, located on the Pacific Coast Highway, became known as the “Crab Shack,” a gathering place for friends who were always coming and going.

Corina Cline, 43, an artist, told the Times that Miod was known to friends as “Crawdaddy” or “Crawdad,” but they mostly called him “Craw.”

She said he spent his life doing exactly what he wanted, focusing on his surfing and a cat he loved all while maintaining a knack for making friends of all backgrounds.

Miod “always wanted everyone to try stuff and not be scared or think they couldn’t do something,” she told the outlet.

His mother said that she last spoke with her son the day that the Palisades fire began. He was almost in tears when he called her as she urged him to take himself and his cat to a shelter.

“Please don’t make me worry about you, again,” she recalled telling him.

Miod chose to stay. His final words to her were, “Pray for the Palisades and pray for Malibu. I love you,” she said.

Detectives found Miod’s remains behind his home and determined that he was likely trying to protect his home before he was overwhelmed by the flames and smoke.

Charles “Charlie” Mortimer, 84, died of a heart attack and smoke inhalation at a hospital after getting caught in the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

In a statement to ABC News, Mortimer’s niece, Meredith, said he “truly lived life to its fullest.”

“He was a world traveler, a sun worshipper, and an avid sports fan,” Meredith said.

Meredith added that her her uncle was a massive Chicago Cubs fan and he was happy to see his “beloved” team win the World Series in 2016. He even has a brick through Palisades P.R.I.D.E, a nonprofit that helps beautify Pacific Palisades, that reads “Charlie Mortimer Cubs Fan.”

“He will be remembered as a man with a quick wit, a brilliant mind, and a love for his family. His infectious smile and never-ending sense of humor will be greatly missed by his friends and family all over the world,” she said.

“Blues Brothers” actress, Dalyce Curry, 95, was killed inside her home when the Eaton Fire set fire 

Her remains were found and confirmed by the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office, KABC reported.

The actress also appeared in “The Ten Commandments” and “Lady Sings the Blues.”

Evelyn McClendon, a resident of Altadena, was killed in the Eaton Fire.

The 59-year-old lived next to her brother Zaire Calvin and was last seen packing her belongings to escape the incoming flames.

“I don’t even know how to talk about it,” Calvin told KTLA. “She couldn’t get out.”  

McClendon was found by a cousin in what used to be her bedroom.

Calvin had escaped the neighborhood with his wife, mother and 1-year-old daughter.

A 77-year-old longtime Altadena resident was killed in the Eaton fire after refusing help to evacuate from a friend.

Winiecki had talked with her best friend, Jeannette McMahon before her house went up in flames.

“The winds picked up on Tuesday and then around 8 p.m. I could see the fire from my home, so I texted Kim and said, ‘Kim, I need to come pick you up,” McMahon told CNN. “She responded and said ‘I’m fine. I’m calm.’”

McMahon was unable to get back into contact with Winiecki after that conversation and said Winiecki’s brother informed her of the 77-year-old’s death after he was contacted by officials. 

The 84-year-old was killed inside his Altadena home on Tonia Ave. during the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner announced.