The Southern California wildfires have resulted in the deaths of at least eleven people so far. Among the victims were Anthony and Justin Mitchell, who were unable to evacuate due to Justin’s cerebral palsy. Another victim, Erliene Louise Kelley, chose to stay in her home assuming everything would be fine, but tragically perished when the fire engulfed her home. Victor Shaw died while trying to protect his family home that had been in the family for over five decades, despite efforts from his sister to get him to evacuate. Rodney Kent Nickerson reassured loved ones that he would be fine and remained in his Altadena home, perishing as he attempted to hose down his property. Former Australian child star Rory Sykes, who had cerebral palsy and was born blind, tragically died after his mother was unable to save him from their burning cottage due to a lack of water to extinguish the flames. These heartbreaking stories highlight the devastating impact of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, which have also destroyed thousands of structures and forced roughly 180,000 people from their homes. The true death toll remains unknown as the fires continue to ravage neighborhoods.
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Our understanding of the victims’ plight
