Former British child star dies in Los Angeles wildfire, mother says

LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) — More than a dozen people have died as a result of the wildfires burning in Los Angeles, authorities have confirmed. Among them is a former child actor, his mother has confirmed.

Shelley Sykes, the mother of Rory Sykes, said in a post on X that the child actor turned philanthropist and professional speaker, died on January 8.

Sykes, born blind and with cerebral palsy, had been living at his family's home in Malibu, California where he had his own cottage. According to his mother, 32-year-old Sykes died as a result of the fires burning in the area.

"I couldn't put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by [Las Virgenes Municipal Water]," Shelley Sykes wrote on X, adding that she was "totally heart broken."

Las Virgenes Municipal Water denied Sykes' claims, with a spokesperson telling NBC News that "water service did remain available and uninterrupted to her property and the entire surrounding community."

Speaking with Australian news outlet 10 News First, Shelley Sykes explained that she tried to save Rory but was limited because of a broken arm.

"I couldn't lift him, I couldn't move him," she explained. Authorities determined Rory Sykes died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Doctors initially believed Sykes, born in England and raised in Australia, "would never see or walk due to injuries he sustained from a car crash while in the womb, which included brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy," according to his website. After several surgeries, however, Sykes gained the ability to both see and walk.

As a child, Sykes hosted "Kiddy Kapers," a British television show produced by his mother. He soon realized he did not like "life in front of the camera," and went on to be "a philanthropist, investor, gamer, developer, founder, speaker, and mentor," his website explains.

As of Sunday morning, authorities have confirmed 16 deaths related to the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area. Five have been attributed to the Palisades Fire while 11 others were due to the Eaton Fire. The death toll is expected to rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in leveled neighborhoods.

For continuing coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires, stick with KTLA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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