Family members have begun to identify the residents killed in the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
At least 24 people have been killed.
A photo shows a damaged school after residents fled the Eaton fire, one of six simultaneous blazes that have swept across Los Angeles County, in Altadena, California, on January 11, 2025.
Ringo Chiu/Reuters
Here’s what we know about the victims:
Randall Miod
Randall “Randy” Miod, 55, was killed in the Palisades fire in Malibu, according to his mother, Carol Smith.
In her 20s, Miod bought her beloved condo in Malibu that became known as the “Crab Shack,” she said.
“It was beyond rustic! He loved that place,” she said. “There was always a party…Randy was the party!”
“He enrolled at Santa Monica City College and graduated with an AA degree in photography. He did some professional photography in addition to his hospitality work,” Smith said. “He also had an artistic side to him. He could draw, paint and play the drums.”
Wildfire victim Randall Lawrence Miod (right) is seen with his mother Carol in this undated photo.
Courtesy of Carol
Smith said she last spoke to her son on the phone the day the Palisades fire broke out.
“He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. I told him, ‘Grab your cat and go to a shelter.’ Please don’t make me worry about you again,” Smith said. “He said, ‘No mom, I don’t trust the fire department and I have a hose.’ His last words to me that day were, ‘Pray for the Palisades and pray for Malibu, I love you’.”
“The fire came through and burned his beloved ‘Crab Shack’ to the ground,” Smith said. “He had been through so many fires in the 30 years he lived there that he most likely thought this fire would be like all the others and he would come through it unscathed.”
“He will be remembered for his kindness, his loving spirit, his generosity, his laughter, the encouragement he gave others to work hard and play hard,” she said.
“He became a legend in Malibu,” she said. “He lived and died in the place he loved most.”
Rory Sykes
Rory Sykes, 32, also died in the Palisades fire, according to his mother, Shelley Sykes.
The mother and son both lived on her property in Malibu, with Rory in his own cottage built for the special needs of his cerebral palsy, she said.
Shelley Sykes said she tried to get her son to evacuate with her, but he wouldn’t. As the air thickened with smoke, she said she kept trying to get Rory out and he said no. Rory was 6ft 5in tall so she couldn’t carry him.
In this undated photo, Rory Sykes, right, is seen with his mother Shelley Sykes.
Courtesy of Shelley Sykes
She said she tried to get help, but when she returned she found her home burned to the ground.
“It was like Armageddon,” she said. “It looked like a bomb had gone off,” she said.
“Brave” Rory was in hospitals for half of his childhood and had many operations over the years, Shelley Sykes said.
“I was the luckiest, the luckiest mom,” she told ABC News through tears. “He was so loving. He was a tight-lipped kid.”
Anthony and Justin Mitchell
Hajime White told ABC News that her father, Anthony, and brother Justin were killed in the Eaton fire in Altadena.
Both had disabilities and were in wheelchairs waiting for an ambulance to transport them to relatives, White told ABC News.
White said her father called her the morning of the fires and said he knew the fire had broken out and he needed to evacuate. He told her he loved her and then all of a sudden he said, “Baby, I gotta go. The fire’s in the yard,” White said.
“And those are the last words I have from my father,” she said.
Anthony Mitchell died in the Eaton fire in Altadena, Calif., his family told ABC News.
The Mitchell family
Anthony was an amputee and lived with Justin, who had cerebral palsy, according to White.
Anthony had several grandchildren and welcomed two great-grandchildren last year, according to his daughter.
“He was an amazing man. An amazing father that any little girl could wish for,” she said.
White said Justin was very smart and enjoyed reading, especially the newspaper with their father.
“He would go out of his way to say ‘hi.’ He tried to tell me he loved me,” White said of his brother.
Victor Shaw
Victor Shaw died, he died in a heroic attempt to protect his home in Altadena, his sister Shari Shaw told ABC News.
Victor Shaw died defending his Altadena home from the Eaton fire, his family said.
The Shaw family
Victor Shaw has lived in the family home since 1965 and had health problems that affected his mobility, according to his sister.
“I can’t imagine what he could have been thinking, how he could have been so scared,” Shari Shaw said.
Charles Mortimer
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that 84-year-old Charles Mortimer was among those killed in the fires.
Mortimer’s family said he “truly lived life to the fullest.”
Burn Victim, Charles Mortimer.
Courtesy Mortimer Family
“He was a world traveler, a sun worshiper and an avid sports fan,” the family said, adding that he was happy to see his “beloved” Chicago Cubs win the World Series.
“He will be remembered as a man with a quick wit, a brilliant mind and a love for his family. His contagious smile and endless sense of humor will be greatly missed by his friends and family around the world,” the family said.
ABC News’ Sean Keane and Mola Lenghi contributed to this report.
