LA fires: What do we know about the victims
2025-01-11
Category: news

At least 10 people have died as wildfires rage in Los Angeles - and there are fears that number will rise.Officials say it may take several weeks to identify victims as traditional methods - such as fingerprinting and visual identification - may not be possible.Here is what we know about those who are reported to have died after their family members spoke to US media.
Anthony Mitchell and his son Justin
Anthony Mitchell and his adult son Justin died at their home in Altadena as they tried to escape the wildfires, their family said.Hajime White told the Washington Post she received a call from her 67-year-old father, in which he said "the fire's in the yard".Mr Mitchell, a 67-year-old retired salesman and amputee, lived with his son Justin, who was in his early 20s and had cerebral palsy, the newspaper reported.Another one of Mr Mitchell's sons, Jordan, lived with the pair but he was in hospital with an infection, the Washington Post reported.Ms White told the newspaper she had received the news that Mr Mitchell and Justin had died, adding: "It's like a ton of bricks just fell on me."Mr Mitchell was a father of four, grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 10, Ms White said.
Victor Shaw
Victor Shaw died trying to defend his home from the wildfire in Altadena, his family said.The 66-year-old's body was found on the side of the road by his property, with a garden hose in his hand, according to TV network KTLA. The property had been in Mr Shaw's family for nearly 55 years, it reported.Mr Shaw lived at the home with his younger sister Shari, who said she tried to get him to evacuate with her on Tuesday night as the fire moved closer.She told KTLA that he refused because he wanted to try to fight the fire, adding that she had to flee because "the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm".Ms Shaw told CBS News she would miss her big brother."I'll miss talking to him, joking about, traveling with him and I'll just miss him to death," she said. "I just hate that he had to go out like that."
Follow live updates on the LA wildfiresWhat's the latest on the fires and what caused them?In maps: Thousands of acres on fire in LAMel Gibson latest celebrity to lose home in wildfires
Rodney Nickerson
Rodney Nickerson died at his home in Altadena, according to his daughter, who said her father believed the wildfire would "pass over".Kimiko Nickerson told KTLA her father had bought the property in 1968 and had experienced previous fires over the decades.She said Mr Nickerson "felt this was going to pass over" and that he would remain at his home.Ms Nickerson told CBS News that the last comment her father made to her was: "I'll be here tomorrow." She confirmed to the broadcaster that his body had been found.
Fear for missing grandmother
The family of 83-year-old Erliene Kelley have voiced fears she is among the victims, telling the Los Angeles Times it had been more than 48 hours since they last heard from her.According to the newspaper, Briana Navarro said her grandmother was "adamant" she did not want to evacuate because previous fires had never reached the house in Altadena.Ms Navarro said her mother had seen a social media post by LA Fire Alerts which included Ms Kelley's address and stated a person was trapped inside the burning home.Ms Navarro said her mother "just broke down" and "knew that my grandma most likely didn't make it out". "And that kind of confirmed it for me as well," she added.