Rory Callum Sykes, a British-born former child actor, was found dead at his family’s home in Malibu that burned down from the massive wildfires that broke out this week.
Sykes is known for his appearance on the Australian TV series Kiddy Kapers and for his inspirational story dealing with cerebral palsy and as a result, had extreme difficulty walking and taking care of himself.
Nonetheless, Sykes inspired many with his tenacity through many surgeries & therapies in order to improve his ability to walk and restore his sight.
It was the news that Sykes had died at his home in Malibu that really drove home just how devastating and horrific the wildfires in southern California are and the death toll is likely to climb when the situation is finally under control and investigators begin searching burned homes.
Malibu is one of the many affluent communities in southern California that were devastated by raging wildfires driven by hurricane-force winds.
The news of Sykes's death was confirmed by his mother, Shelley Sykes, who also starred in the 1998 reality series.
Sykes confirmed in a statement on X, “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday."
Sykes claimed in her post, "I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water. Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day."
Sykes claimed that she was “heartbroken” by her son’s death, describing him as a “true humanitarian," who was an inspiration to many. Yet this is just one of many tragedies that have occurred as a result of these devastating fires.
So far, the multiple wildfires that broke out have been some of the most destructive in California history and hundreds of firefighters are still battling to save billions of dollars in real estate.
So far, the death toll stands at 11 people, with the confirmed death toll expected to rise in the coming days. Some fires are under control but other fires are still stubbornly burning despite the winds slacking.
The wildfires in Los Angeles were exacerbated by a water shortage as many fire hydrants went dry due to the system not being prepared for such demands. Further complicating the situation, multiple major reservoirs in southern California were empty further stretching water supplies.
Los Angeles and other cities simply were not prepared for a devastating wildfire despite years of warnings from insurance companies and other observers.
Northern California is where most of the big fires happen but there is a clearer distinction between the wet and dry seasons. Meanwhile in southern California, there simply hasn't been enough rain and the conditions were dry with fuel loads high from multiple past wet seasons.
State and city governments were criminally unprepared for a wildfire event that many predicted and in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, those responsible must be held accountable for the destruction and loss of life that could have been prevented.
