Fire victim’s tragic bid to save pets in LA wildfires

Heartbreaking details have emerged about the latest confirmed victim of the LA wildfires.

An Australian man killed in the devastating LA wildfires cannot be added to the state’s official death toll until cadaver dogs locate his body.

Rory Callum Sykes was inside a cottage on his family’s Malibu estate as the Palisades fire ripped through the area.

The 32-year-old, who lived with cerebral palsy, died from carbon monoxide poisoning, his mother Shelly Sykes said.

His death has not yet officially been included in the wildfire death toll.

Dr Sykes said her son died when the fire tore through their estate on Mount Malibu TV Studio estate, blaming the local Las Virgenes Municipal Water company.

Rory Sykes, 32, an Australian man who has died in the LA wildfires where he had a house in Malibu. His mother Shelley (pictured) broke the news. Picture: X

She said there was “no water coming out of the hose” when she tried to put out embers on the roof of Rory’s cottage.

“(The fire station) had helped me before and they said, ‘What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be here’. And I said, ‘Please help Rory. His cottage has got flames on it and I’ve got no water’.”

“They said, ‘Shelly, we’ve got no water either’.”

“When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burned to the ground,” she told 10 News.

A spokesperson for Las Virgenes Municipal Water denied her claims, saying the “water service did remain available and uninterrupted to her property and the entire surrounding community.”

“Our water system remained operational and we did provide water to the firefighters throughout the emergency and without interruption,” the spokesperson said.

Dr Sykes said her son “died needlessly” after becoming trapped in the cottage.

“He died with carbon monoxide poisoning rather than burning, I didn’t want any pain for my baby.”

Rodney Nickerson

An 83-year-old grandfather was found dead in bed amid the charred remains of his home after refusing to heed an evacuation order and the pleas of his family.

Rodney Nickerson’s life was claimed by the deadly Eaton Fire which raged through Altadena.

His daughter Kimiko said loved ones had taken turns pleading with him to leave but it was all to no avail.

“My son tried to get him to leave, my neighbours and myself, and he said he’ll be fine,” Ms Nickerson said.

Ms Nickerson said he ended their conversation telling her: “I’ll be here tomorrow”.

Rodney Nickerson had insisted on staying behind in his home.

Mr Nickerson had insisted on staying behind in their family home he had purchased in 1968 for $5, according to the New York Post.

The Nickersons are well-known in the Los Angeles community where his father William was the founder and owner ofNickerson Gardens in Watts, the largest public housing development in Los Angeles.

Rodney worked at Lockheed Martin for 45 years where he was a project engineer.

Rodney Nickerson was a project engineer.

Anthony and Justin Mitchell

A great-grandfather confined to a wheelchair was on the phone to his daughter when he frantically hung up the phone after saying the fire had spread into his yard.

He didn’t make it out alive, and neither did his son with cerebral palsy, as the two died in the raging wildfires in southern California.

Anthony Mitchell, the 67-year-old amputee, and his bedridden son Justin, in his 20s, are two of ten victims who have so far been killed by the deadly firestorm.

Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, tried to save his son. Picture: Supplied

Mitchell had phoned his daughter Hajime White on Wednesday morning amid the chaos and informed her they were evacuating their home in Altadena.

White, an Arkansas resident, told the Washington Post that was the last time she spoke with her father.

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

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

Authorities then informed the family that Mitchell was found by his son’s bed, leading his family to believe he was trying to save Justin.

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

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

White described her father as a generous man who adored his four children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The Arkansas-based family affectionately called him FaFa, short for “far away.”

Victor Shaw

The 66-year-old man was discovered outside of his home clutching a hose he had been using in a last-ditch attempt to fight the flames.

Victor Shaw lived in Altadena with his younger sister, Shari Shaw, and refused to join her when she evacuated the Eaton Fire as it threatened their property on Tuesday, according to 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 had to save myself,” Shari Shaw said.

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

Victor Shaw was found dead clutching a hose. Picture: KTLA

Erliene Kelly

The retired pharmacy technician is the fifth victim of the southern California fires to be identified.

Erliene Kelly died in the Altadena home she lived in for years, according to family members and neighbours, the New York Times reported.

She was described as “an angel” by her neighbour Terry Lyburn.

“That’s the perfect neighbour. When you see her, you have a smile,” he said.

Erliene Kelley chose not to evacuate on Tuesday night and stayed in the Altadena home where she’d lived for more than 40 years. Picture: Supplied

Annette Rossilli

An 85-year-old woman died in the Palisades fire after refusing to leave her home and pets, according to her in-home carers.

Annette Rossilli was told to evacuate but she refused to leave, Fay Vahdani, president of Luxe Homecare told CNN.

Los Angeles fire victim Annette Rossilli, 85, stayed in her Pacific Palisades home with her dog Greetly, her canary Pepper, her two parrots and her turtle. Picture: Luxe Homecare

She lived in the home by herself and received in-home care three days a week.

A caregiver offered to pick Rossilli up and neighbours but she wanted to stay with her pets: a dog named Greetly, a canary named Pepper, two parrots and a turtle, Ms Vahdani said.

Firefighters discovered Rossilli’s body in her car, Ms Vahdani and Rossilli’s family confirmed.

Randall “Randy” Miod

Randall Miod, 55, had lived in his Malibu beach home for decades, said his mother Carol Smith.

“His home was his prized possession. That’s the one and only house he ever owned,” Smith said. “He just felt so blessed to be able to live in Malibu. That was his dream come true because he’d been surfing since he was a teenager.”

Randall “Randy” Miod, 55, (pictured with his mother, Carol) died in the place he loved most: his home in Malibu. Picture: Supplied

The house was known as “the crab shack” with a generous and friendly Mr Miod having an open-door policy for his friends.

Mr Miod was determined to protect his home during the fire, and told his mother he had a garden hose “ready to go”.

“He’d been through so many of these fires and made it through unscathed. I think he thought he could do it again,” Smith said. “Now that I’m realizing how many memories he had in that home, I can understand why he didn’t want to leave.”

Mr Miod’s boy was discovered by detectives later.

Originally published as Fire victim’s tragic bid to save pets in LA wildfires