Identifying the Victims of LA Fires: Updates on Residents Lost as Death Toll Climbs to 16

At least 16 people have been killed in the deadly wildfires still raging across Los Angeles as officials warned the death toll is likely to rise.

The victims include a man who died still clutching a garden hose and a woman who was unwilling to leave her pets.

Officials said that five of the deaths were the result of the massive Palisades fire, while the rest have been attributed to the Eaton Fire.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that another 13 individuals have gone missing in the area. It remains unclear whether these disappearances are directly related to the ongoing fires in the region.

The grim work of sifting through the devastation continued Saturday, with teams conducting systematic grid searches with cadaver dogs.

Here are the details of some of those who have been identified as victims so far:

Victor Shaw

Former courier driver Victor Shaw was found dead in the driveway of his Altadena home.

The 66-year-old was discovered clutching a hose pipe as he attempted to put out the flames of the Eaton Fire.

Shaw’s sister told how she begged him to evacuate and even packed up his possessions for him.

But he was unwilling to leave his home, telling her: ‘Let me just sit here for a few minutes’.

The request would become the final words he would ever utter.

Annette Rossilli

Annette Rossilli, 85, was urged to evacuate her Palisades home but chose to stay behind with her beloved pets, sadly perishing in the blaze.

A home health company caring for the mom-of-two confirmed that she had died after choosing to stay with her dog, canary, two parrots and turtle.

Her body was found in her car, according to Fay Vahdani, president of Luxe Homecare.

One of the missing persons is Rossilli, a retired owner of a plumbing business who was well-liked in her local community. According to reports from the Guardian, she is survived by her son and daughter.

Anthony and Justin Mitchell

Anthony Mitchell, 67, and his son Justin died in the Eaton Fire as they waited for an ambulance.

Mitchell was an amputee while Justin had cerebral palsy, Mitchell’s daughter Hajime White said.

‘They didn’t make it out,’ said White. ‘He was not going to leave his son behind. No matter what,’ added White, who lives in Arkansas.

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

Mitchell was a father of four, grandfather of 11 and had 10 great-grandchildren.

Erliene Kelley

Retired pharmacy technician Erliene Kelley lost her life in the Eaton Fire after flames encased her Altadena home.

Her granddaughter Briana Navarro told the LA Times her grandma was ‘adamant’ she did not want to evacuate.

She was described by neighbors as a ‘sweet’ longtime resident who had lived in her home since the late 1960s.

Their home had never been within the path of the wildfires before, according to family.

Rodney Nickerson

Altadena resident Rodney Nickerson died in his home of 57 years, according to his daughter Kimiko Nickerson.

During an interview with KTLA, Kimiko shared that a family member had been preparing to evacuate by packing some belongings into the car but expressed intentions to remain at home. The family member believed that the situation would improve and that there was no need to leave.

The devastated daughter was the person who found her father’s body in the wreckage.

She said he believed he would be safe having survived several other wildfires in the decades before. 

Rory Sykes

Australian former child actor Rory Sykes died after his mom was unable to evacuate him from a cottage on his family’s Malibu estate.

Sykes, 32, was born blind and had cerebral palsy. His mom Shelley Sykes was suffering from a broken arm and could not move him by herself.

She told 10 News First that she called 911 but was told they had run out of water. 

‘When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burnt to the ground,’ Shelley said. 

 Randall Miod

Randall ‘Randy’ Miod, 55, died in his Malibu beach house, according to his mom Carol Smith.

The surfer chose to stay behind in his beloved home after making it through several other fires.

‘(His home) was his prized possession. That’s the one and only house he ever owned,’ Smith told CNN. ‘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.’ 

But his dream ended in tragedy after emergency responders found his remains in the property. All his roommates have been accounted for.

‘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.’