Former Australian Child Star Rory Sykes Dies in California Fires
Rory Sykes, a former Australian child star, died in the California wildfires at the age of 32.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken,” Rory’s mom, Shelley Sykes, wrote via X on Thursday, January 9.
Shelley described Rory as “a wonderful son” and “a gift born on mine & his grandma’s birthday.” She added that Rory, who was best known for his role in Kiddy Kapers, a children’s television show in England, was an avid fan of Apple products, former Apple CEO Tim Cook and RuneScape, a popular mobile game.
Shelley continued, “Rory was born blind with cerebral palsy & had difficulty walking. He overcame so much with surgeries & therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk. Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”
Rory was also known for his work as an inspirational speaker and Shelley said he was “sought after” by Tony Robbins.
“Rory had his own cottage on our 17 acre Mount Malibu TV Studio estate, decked out with all the latest apple gadgets, which burnt down yesterday 8 Jan 2024 Malibu Fires. I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by @LVMWD Las Virgenes Municipal Water,” Shelley added at the end of her message. “Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed by [his] mama, his pet peacocks, Edgee and Mickie, and all his online fans around the world!”
The California wildfires began on Tuesday, January 7, and they quickly spread, leaving devastation in their wake. At the time of publication, the flames had killed 11 people and destroyed thousands of businesses and homes in the Los Angeles area. Five people were killed in the Pacific Palisades fire and six died in the Eaton fire.
While lightning is often the leading cause of wildfires in the area, authorities have ruled out that possibility. The combination of strong winds and dry conditions caused the fires to spread rapidly, displacing around 180,000 people and wildlife alike. On Saturday, January 11, NBC News reported that approximately 150,000 people were under mandatory evacuation notices.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain spoke about the fires to Inside Climate News and said that the alternating conditions of heavy rainfall and overly dry conditions over the last several years in California has made the area more susceptible.
“It’s not just that drier conditions are perpetually more likely in a warming climate,” Swain told the publication. “It’s that this oscillation back and forth between states is something that is particularly consequential for wildfire risk in Southern California.”
Several celebrities have lost their homes in the blaze, including Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Mandy Moore, John Goodman, Miles and Keleigh Teller and more.
“To everyone reaching out I can’t thank you enough, your kind hearts have meant the world, I’ll never forget them,” Keleigh wrote via Instagram alongside the last photo of her and Miles’ house before it was destroyed. “Community has come out stronger than I could imagine, Pacific Palisades I love you beyond measure; you are a little slice of heaven, we will come back stronger than ever.”