Off The Record
Altadena Father Found Dead Near Son’s Bed After LA Wildfires
The wind-fueled flames that have burned over 40,000 acres in the greater Los Angeles area have sadly claimed the lives of at least 24 people, including a father and son.
While trying to flee, Anthony Mitchell and his son Justin were caught in the approaching flames. Their family is devastated by their untimely deaths.
Hajime White, Anthony’s daughter, disclosed that her father had been waiting for an ambulance to come and take him and Justin out of their Altadena, California, house, but it never did.
Hajime was later notified by authorities that Anthony had been discovered next to Justin’s bed. Hajime thinks her father was attempting to help Justin, who had cerebral palsy and was in his early 20s.
“He was not going to leave his son behind. No matter what,” said Hajime, a Doula in Warren, Arkansas. Her father, whom she described as a bighearted man, was 67. He was a retired salesman and an amputee who used a wheelchair.
Hajime also recalled the conversation she had with her dad the day they were meant to evacuate. “He said, ‘Baby, I’m just letting you know the fire’s broke out, and we’re going to have to evacuate. Then he said, ‘I’ve got to go — the fire’s in the yard,'” narrated Hajime.
Unfortunately, Justin and Anthony were never able to leave. At the time of the tragedy, Anthony’s second son, Jordan, who lives with the family and is also in his 20s, was in the hospital.
Hajime’s half-brother, Justin, was disabled and used a computer to read and converse. Their extended family will miss Justin and Anthony very much.
Anthony had four children, eleven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Hajime’s Arkansas-based relatives called Anthony “FaFa,” which stands for far away. In addition, Anthony loved his grandchildren and gave them names to help him remember them. “Strawberry Shortcake, Marshmallow, Bug, he just went on and on,” Hajime said.
Hajime has been devastated by this loss. She said, “It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me.” She is currently awaiting word from the rest of her family in Los Angeles regarding when it will be safe for her to travel and arrange Justin and Anthony’s burial.
The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst wildfires have destroyed numerous homes and buildings and burned 40,300 acres, according to California’s official government page. Many families and towns are still affected by the destruction.
The Eaton and Hurst fires have reached 27 and 89 percent containment, respectively, while the Palisades wildfire is only 13 percent. The number of fatalities over the weekend has risen to 24, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, with 16 deaths from the Eaton fire and 8 from the Palisades fire.
As crews, assisted by cadaver dogs, perform extensive grid searches in neighborhoods that have been reduced to rubble, officials expect the death toll to increase. Four people are missing in the Palisades region, and 12 people are missing in the Eaton zone, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Red flag warnings for severe fire conditions, which include steady winds of 50 mph and mountain gusts of up to 70 mph, have also been issued by the National Weather Service through January 15.
With winds threatening to accelerate the flames’ growth, January 14 is predicted to be the most dangerous day for the California wildfires. In anticipation, 70 more water trucks have arrived to help firefighters fight the fire, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.
After a loving grandfather was killed in a wildfire that ripped through a peaceful neighborhood in Altadena, California, another family is struggling with grief and loss.
Rodney Nickerson, 83, was discovered dead in his bed. His body was found by his daughter, Kimiko Nickerson, in the burned-out remnants of their family’s house, which had been there since the late 1960s.
About three miles from the Nickerson residence, on Tuesday evening, January 7, 2025, the destructive wildfire began and quickly spread along Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. Rodney refused to leave the home he had occupied for more than 50 years, even after his neighbors and relatives repeatedly pleaded with him to leave.
Kimiko revealed that the last time she spoke to her father was on the night of the fire, at approximately 9:30 p.m. The assurance he had given her was, “I’ll be here tomorrow.”
Despite efforts by Kimiko’s son and neighbors to convince him to go, Rodney was adamant about staying. “He said he’ll be fine,” related Kimiko. She thinks he was getting ready to sleep following their call, continuing his retirement-related lifelong routine of getting up at four in the morning.
Having paid only $5 for their Altadena family home in 1968, Rodney had strong links to the Los Angeles community. His great-grandfather, William Nickerson, established Nickerson Gardens, the biggest public housing complex in Los Angeles; therefore, his influence in the community lasted beyond his lifetime.
Rodney worked for Lockheed Martin, a significant aerospace and defense corporation, for forty-five years as a project engineer. His wife, who was also employed at Lockheed, helped to establish the family’s life in Altadena and reared their kids in the house Rodney would not leave.
The rapid spread of the Eaton Fire surprised the residents. Kimiko told Sky News about her father’s assurance that the fire would not spread to his land. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the unpredictable and destructive course of the fire.
Kimiko remarked, “He just didn’t want to evacuate,” after considering her father’s choice. “He’s been living here since 1968, and he’s been in Altadena my whole life.”
At a startling pace, the fire jumped across streets and caused extensive damage as it swept through the peaceful suburban area. “Like all of us on this block, in four blocks, he didn’t think it was going to be this devastating,” Kimiko said. “It jumped whole streets, and it hit this community, but it didn’t touch the mountainside at all.”
Following the incident, Kimiko talked about how devastated and shocked she and her family are. “I have no words to explain my feelings at this point in time,” she stated. “I’m just silent and numb and just mentally trying to go through the process.”
The Nickerson family’s sorrow is not unique. Altadena and the surrounding neighborhoods are still dealing with the heartbreak caused by the Eaton Fire. Victor Shaw, a 66-year-old male, was recognized on Wednesday morning (January 8) as one of the five deaths reported by the Eaton Fire. His death was reported by KTLA 5 on January 9, 2025.
Sadly, Victor’s family discovered him with a garden hose in his hand, laying on the side of the road near their house. Victor died trying to protect their house from the fire, according to the fire victim’s family members.
The fact that Victor’s sister, Shari Shaw, with whom he had been living, attempted to persuade her brother to accompany her in the evacuation on the evening of January 7 as the fire approached their home, adds even more sadness.
When Shari was racing out the door, Victor, whose loved ones claim he had health problems that affected his movement, reportedly told her he wanted to stay behind to try to put out the fire.
Providing a first-person account of the moment to the news outlet, Shari divulged, “When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn’t reply back, and I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm—I had to save myself. And I looked behind me, and the house was starting to go up in flames, and I had to leave.”
According to family friend Al Tanner, Victor’s burned body was discovered the next morning. According to Al, “It looks like he was trying to save the home that his parents had for almost 55 years.”
Shari told KTLA 5 how devastated she was to hear of her brother’s passing, saying she “fell to the ground” and that she couldn’t even look at him. “They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace,” the grieving sister continued.
Unsafe conditions prevented the coroner’s office from recovering Victor’s body on Wednesday evening, leaving it on his family’s property in the 3000 block of Montrose Avenue.
Since Thursday morning (January 9), the cause of the 10,600-acre Eaton Fire, which killed Victor, has been under investigation. It is one of several huge and active wildfires that have broken out in the Los Angeles region.
The Palisades Fire is the biggest of the lot, covering an incredible 17,234 acres and destroying almost 1,000 buildings, according to KTLA 5.
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