Father Missing a Limb and Son with Cerebral Palsy Weren't Able to Evacuate L.A. Fires in Time, Family Says

Mar. 15, 2025

Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8 in Altadena, Calif.Photo:David McNew/Getty Images

David McNew/Getty Images

One woman who lost her father and brother in theLos Angeles wildfiresthat began burning around the city earlier this week is opening up about the tragic loss.

On Thursday, Jan 9, Hajime White, who lives in Warren, Ark., recalled toThe Washington Postthe last phone call she shared with her dad, 67-year-old retiree Anthony Mitchell.

White added that the family sometimes had caregivers, but none were there when the blazing Eaton fire reached their Altadena home.

“It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me,” she said,remembering how she found out about their deaths just a few hours after their final phone call.

Firefighters work in Altadena, Calif.David McNew/Getty Images

White told thePostshe had fond memories of her dad, a father of four, grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 10.

“He had nicknames for everybody: Strawberry Shortcake, Marshmallow, Bug,” she recalled. “He just went on and on.”

Justin sometimes struggled with his cerebral palsy, White added, but he used a computer to read and communicate with others.

“He was not going to leave his son behind. No matter what," White said of her dad, according toTheNew York Post.

Although authorities have confirmed that at least five people have died in the Eaton fire — raging about 30 miles northeast of thedestructive fire in the coastal Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades— and 10 have died in the county so far,according to the medical examiner.

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Among the others who died in Altadena wasVictor Shaw, 66, whose body was found still clutching a garden hose outside of his family’s home near the Eaton Fire.

The remains of a burned home in Altadena.David McNew/Getty

David McNew/Getty

The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported that as of Friday morning, Jan. 10, the Palisades Fire was 8% contained and 20,438 acres had been burned, and the Eaton Fire remained 3% contained with 13,690 acres burned.

Several other fires have broken out across the county, including the Kenneth Fire, which started Thursday afternoon in West Hills and burned 1,000 acres as of 10 a.m. local time on Friday, sitting at 35% containment, officials said.

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source: people.com