Sixteen people have been killed in the Los Angeles wildfire. An amputee and his son with cerebral palsy were among those killed. The father was found at his son’s bedside.
One victim told a relative that he did not want to evacuate. He died trying to fight the blaze that consumed his home of more than 50 years.
Another victim, an 85-year-old woman, refused to leave her home as the fast-moving Palisades Fire approached, preferring instead to stay behind with her beloved pets.
A former child star from Australia also was among those who died, as well as a Malibu resident and surfer who was called a “magnet for people.”
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, five of the 16 deaths appear related to the Palisades Fire near the Southern California coast. Another 11 deaths have been attributed to the Eaton Fire, which raged east of Los Angeles.
The complete death toll won’t be clear until it’s safe for investigators to enter neighborhoods where there are downed power lines, gas leaks and other hazards, according to authorities.