British-born star Rory Callum Sykes died last week after his home was engulfed by the flames tearing through Los Angeles, with his devastated mother sharing her heartache
Former child star Rory Callum Sykes died "needlessly" in the LA wildfires, his devastated mother has said.
The British-born star, who appeared in a handful of television shows as a child, was born blind and had cerebral palsy. With the fires in Los Angeles blazing, he told his mother to leave him.
After his tragic death, his mum Shelley Sykes told Australia's Network 10: "He was my baby, and he died needlessly.
"Guess what didn't work? 911. All the phone lines were down."
She continued: "He said, 'Mum, leave me,' and no mum can leave their kid, and I've got a broken arm. I couldn't lift him. I couldn't move him."
Shelley reportedly drove 400 metres to a local fire station to try and get some help. Sadly, she claims she was told they had "no water".
She said: "When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burned to the ground."
Rory lived in a self-contained cottage next to his mother's home. According to Shelley, Rory died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Since, Las Virgenes Minicpal Water have denied Shelley's claims. They reportedly said the "water service did remain available and uninterrupted to her property and the entire surrounding community".
The fires have already burnt through more than 12,000 buildings. Hotels in the surrounding areas are full up with people who had been forced to flee their homes – and now have no homes.
Content cannot be displayed without consentCelebrities including Paris Hilton, Miles Teller, Spencer and Heidi Pratt and singer Halsey have been affected by the fires. Paris shared her sadness after watching her Malibu home "burn to the ground on live TV".
"What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn't just my story," she said on Instagram. "So many people have lost everything.
"It's not just walls and roofs – it's the memories that made those houses homes. It's the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives."
It's thought that there have now been at least 24 deaths relating to the fires. Other victims included 95-year-old grandmother and actress Dalyce Curry, who was discovered dead close to her home after going missing.
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