A 67-year-old amputee father died in the LA wildfires after being left behind to wait for an ambulance for his disabled son, who also died.
Anthony Mitchell was found next to his son Justin, who was in his early 20s and had cerebral palsy, in Altadena, California, after his family said he tried to protect them both.
“They didn’t make it out,” Mitchell’s daughter Hajime White told the station Washingtonpost.
White said her father called her Wednesday morning to tell her that he and her half-brother Justin were evacuating because of the advancing fires.
“Then he said, ‘I have to go – the fire is in the garden,’” she recalled, saying that was the last time she heard his voice.
“He had no intention of leaving his son behind, no matter what happened,” she added. ‘It’s very difficult. It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me.”
White said her father was a retired salesman and amputee who used a wheelchair, and said he was a loving family man, devoted to his four children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
It comes as the death toll from the Los Angeles fires doubled overnight to 10, with officials warning it will take some time for the true devastation to emerge.
Anthony Mitchell, 67, (pictured) was found next to his son Justin, who was in his early 20s and suffering from cerebral palsy, in Altadena, California, because his family said he “wouldn’t leave his son behind, no.” no matter what happens’
Mitchell’s daughter Hajime White said she spoke to her father on the phone as the fires approached his home, and after his tragic death she said it felt “like a ton of bricks just fell on me.”
Los Angles authorities said late Thursday that the official death toll had doubled to 10, but warned that the actual number of deaths was “expected to rise.”
The LA medical examiner announced late Thursday night that it was investigating 10 fire-related deaths in the area, but provided no information on the identities of the victims or their locations.
As investigators continue to sift through the ash as firefighters battle multiple blazes, the medical examiner said some identifications could take weeks.
This is due to difficulties in accessing bodies in certain areas and their charred remains, with teams using dental records and DNA to identify people as identifying details such as fingerprints and facial features have been lost.
“Please also note that traditional means of identification such as fingerprinting and visual identification may not be available and this will allow additional time to name these decedents,” the medical examiner said in a statement.
Three other victims have been named so far, including another Californian who stayed behind to try to fight the out-of-control fires.
Victor Shaw, 66, tragically died in the Eaton Fire after his sister Shari Shaw said she begged him to evacuate with her.
She told me KTL that on Tuesday evening she tried to persuade her brother to come with her as the fires approached, but he wanted to stay behind to rest because he suffered from diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Victor Shaw, 66, was identified as one of the victims of the Los Angles fires after his sister said he tried to keep the fires away from his family home
Another victim named so far was Rodney Nickerson, 82, who died at his Altadena home after also staying behind instead of evacuating
As searches continue across Los Angeles, resident Dalyce Kelley took to Facebook to urge anyone to contact her after her family was unable to find her grandmother (pictured together) when her house burned down
“When I went back in and called his name, he didn’t answer back, and I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying around like a firestorm. I had to save myself,” Shari said.
“And I looked back and the house started going up in flames, and I had to leave.”
A family friend later told the outlet that they used a garden hose to find Victor’s charred remains on the side of the road Wednesday morning, and it appeared he was “trying to save the house his parents had for almost 55 years.”
Another victim named so far was Rodney Nickerson, 82, who died at his Altadena home after also staying behind instead of evacuating, his daughter Kimiko Nickerson told KTLA.
She said he was preparing for a possible evacuation but believed it would be good to stay in his home and wait out the disaster that engulfed the area.
“He was gathering some stuff, packing up his car a little bit, and he said he was going to gather his stuff, but he said he was going to stay here too… he said he felt this would pass and that he would be here,” she said.
As searches continue across Los Angeles, resident Dalyce Kelley took to Facebook to urge anyone to contact her after her family was unable to find her grandmother when her house burned down.
A firefighter battles fire in the Angeles National Forest near Mount Wilson as wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area during the Eaton Fire in Altadena
Investigators and residents sift through ash and debris in burned homes during the Eaton fire in Altadena
Although only five victims have yet to be identified and 10 have been announced, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, “Unfortunately, I believe the death toll will rise.”
Luna urged residents to be patient as officials try to get an accurate and complete death toll.
“We are still working in a very volatile and active environment, which means there are still hot spots in areas and gas leaks,” he said.
“So when people ask us for fatality numbers, we want to give them to you, but we have to wait until it’s safe for our staff to be able to go in there and do this properly.”
Since the devastating bushfires began, a number of A-list celebrities have revealed that they have also lost their homes to the fires.
Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins, Tina Knowles, John Goodman, Candy Spelling, Milo Ventimiglia and Miles Teller are among those whose homes were demolished.
The so-called Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on LA’s west flank and the Eaton Fire to the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, covering more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) – or about 53 square kilometers.