The fires, which have torn through Southern California over the past week, are rightly being counted among the worst in US history. At the time of writing, some 25 people have lost their lives in the ongoing disaster, while thousands have been uprooted and face losing homes and businesses.
As per reports, Dalyce Kelley, Dalyce Curry’s granddaughter, took to Facebook earlier this week to reveal that her grandmother’s remains had been discovered shortly before 6pm local time on Sunday, January 12.
“We had a great run,” Kelley wrote on social media. “She impacted my life in so many ways. This loss is devastating.”
According to the Daily Mail, Kelley went on to reveal the 95-year-old Curry’s final words before the rampaging fires spread to her home on Krenz Street. On January 8, just after midnight, Kelley and Curry arrived at Curry’s home having traveled from the hospital, and could reportedly see smoke about four miles away.
At that time no evacuation order had been issued and the pair were not said to be particularly alarmed as they believed the fire was too far away to reach Curry’s abode.
Recalling the last time they saw each other, Kelley said: “She gave me a big wet kiss and she said I love you.
“I said, ‘I love you too’ and I made sure that she was safe inside. We were both so tired from the day at the hospital. I didn’t feel like she was in imminent danger because there was no evacuation order at that point.
“Sometimes her kisses were too wet that you have to wipe it off a little bit. That’s who she was. Just loving. We kissed, said goodbye and I drove back to my home. That was the last thing we said to one another.”
Hours later, Kelley woke up to the news that the Eaton Fire had spread and consumed several blocks of Altadena. When Kelley arrived in Altadena, cops were already putting up barriers around the neighborhood.
She explained: “It was all black and I just panicked because I felt like I was in hell.
“A man passed me by and yelled that his whole house had burned down.”
Kelley gave her grandmother’s address to an on officer who later called to say that Curry’s home had been completely destroyed. Kelley was able to go to the site a few days later, but her prayers that her grandmother had been evacuated with others were shattered when she received a call from county Medical Examiner officials who confirmed Curry’s remains had been found at her home.
Rest in peace to all the victims of the ongoing wildfires in California.
