According to the family, a disabled father and son died in the Eaton fire because they were unable to receive medical evacuation.
It will be weeks before the Los Angeles fire fatalities are known, as teams continue to search for bodies in the scorched areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, but some families have found their loved ones on their own.
Sheila Wilson said her cousin and father were unable to evacuate their home without medical assistance and tragically died in the fire.
Wilson said her uncle had an amputee and was unable to lift her son, who has cerebral palsy.
With the Eaton Fire closing in on Altadena, he called 911 for help Tuesday night to escape, but help didn't arrive in time.
Wilson said the family believes the father and son are in a shelter.
Wilson said her family didn't know the house was on fire until the next day, when it was already engulfed in flames.
“They're gone, so why didn't dad leave?'' Because he could have left. Yes, maybe so. But would you leave your child behind in a disaster? ” Wilson asked. “He chose to be with his son and stayed there and they went together.”
Stay up to date with NYP's coverage of horrific fires in the Los Angeles area
Wilson spoke with FOX weather correspondent Brandi Campbell, who was volunteering at a church in Pasadena collecting donations of water and other supplies to help the city's undrinkable residents.
Wilson said she is coping with the tragedy by staying busy and trying to help the community.
“Even if you're going through a tragedy, it's easier to get through it if you do it with someone else,” Wilson said.
The wildfires have claimed at least 24 lives and destroyed countless homes, businesses and schools.
The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue teams continue to search through the ash in a grid pattern.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office says it could be several weeks before the fire victims are identified and positively identified.
The ministry uses complex methods to identify the dead, including dental records, DNA, medical records and X-rays to look for medical equipment and associated serial numbers.
