The 95-year-old Blues Brothers actress died in devastating Los Angeles wildfires after becoming trapped in her home after it burned to the ground.
A RETIRED actress has died trapped in her home after a horror Eaton fire burned it to the ground.
Dalis Carey, who appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, has died at the age of 95, her family has confirmed.
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The body of Ms Carey, known as “Momma D” to loved ones, was discovered by first responders at 6pm on Sunday amid the rubble of her home in Altadena, north of Los Angeles.
Her granddaughter, Dalis Kelly, posted the tragic news on Facebook.
“About an hour ago the coroner confirmed that her remains were found on the property,” she wrote.
Kelly also shared haunting footage of the devastation, showing her great-grandmother’s burned-out Cadillac and the remains of the house reduced to ash.
Read more about the Los Angeles wildfires
“This was the kitchen,” Kelly said in the video, pointing to a refrigerator, a bicycle and a door amid the wreckage.
The footage revealed a post-apocalyptic scene, with the sky still glowing orange due to forest fires burning nearby.
The Eaton Fire is one of several wildfires wreaking havoc in the Los Angeles area, sparking new outrage over politicians’ handling of wildfire prevention.
Ms Carey’s granddaughter and carer, Dalis Kelly, revealed that she last saw Carey when she drove her home from hospital around midnight last Tuesday.
Hours later, the Eaton Fire broke out and quickly escalated into a deadly blaze.
Kelly left to care for other relatives and was unaware of the danger until she was awakened by an emergency alert warning that Ms Carey’s home was in danger.
When Kelly ran back to Altadena, police prevented her from reaching the area Daily Mail Reports.
“An officer told me the house burned to the ground,” she said, adding that she was advised to check the Pasadena Civic Center, where displaced residents are being cared for.
For five agonizing days, Kelly and her family waited for news, sifting through the devastation in the hopes of finding Ms. Carey.
On Friday, a National Guard member escorted Kelly to the site of her great-grandmother’s home.
“It was complete devastation,” she said.
“Everything was gone except her blue Cadillac.”
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As Carrey’s family mourns, they remember her as a beloved mother and a small but cherished part of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
“She was ‘Momma D’ to all of us,” Kelly said. “It’s heartbreaking to lose her like this.”
Dalles Curry, who was part of the old black Hollywood scene in the 1950s, spent decades working as an extra in popular films.
Despite her age, her family members said she was active and full of life.
She was very active; “You wouldn’t think she was 95,” said her granddaughter, Lori Beamer Wilkinson.
Ms Curry’s death was among at least 24 deaths confirmed as wildfires raged across Southern California, with 16 people still missing and more than 150,000 residents forced to evacuate.
Four fires, including the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, have burned more than 62 square miles of land, destroying homes in some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods.
Extreme drought conditions, dry vegetation, and strong Santa Ana winds — gusting up to 80 mph — created the “perfect storm” for wildfires, according to CalFire.
Officials warned that life-threatening wind gusts and dangerously low humidity were expected across much of Southern California, creating a high risk for fires to spread rapidly.
The power outage affected nearly 70,000 customers, more than half of them in Los Angeles County.
Meanwhile, two men were arrested for arson, including the arrest of a suspect using a blowtorch in Calabasas.
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What caused the wildfires in Los Angeles?
By Juliana Cruz Lima, foreign news correspondent
The devastating Palisades fire, which tore through Los Angeles and killed at least eight people, is believed to have been reignited from burn marks left by a previous blaze that may have been sparked by New Year’s Eve fireworks.
According to a Washington Post investigation, the remnants of the previous fire, which burned in the Temescal Ridge area of the Santa Monica Mountains, could have been reignited by strong winds six days later, setting the stage for one of California’s most destructive wildfires.
Satellite images and other data indicate that the Palisades Fire started in the same area as the New Year’s Eve fire, which was contained after burning four acres.
While the initial fire was brought under control within a few hours, the high winds and extreme dry conditions that led to the second fire created the perfect storm for a ignition.
“We know that fires rekindle and go from smoldering to smoldering,” explained Michael Gollner, a fire scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.
“It is certainly possible that something from that previous fire re-ignited within a week and caused the ignition.”
Nearby residents expressed frustration with what they described as a slower response to the second fire.
Michael Valentine, who witnessed the start of both fires, noticed a stark difference.
“The first time, the response was fast and impressive. The second time, it was slower and hampered by strong winds.”
Valentine reported that when he and his wife called the Los Angeles Fire Department to report the Palisades fire, the line was busy, and resources were delayed as crews responded to emergencies elsewhere in the city.
A helicopter trying to deliver water early was unable to operate due to dangerous winds.
Valentin estimated it took 45 minutes before he saw any firefighting efforts, by which time the fire was spreading rapidly.
The delay led Valentine to take matters into his own hands, dampening homes in his neighborhood and sustaining burns and injuries in the process.
Adding to the tragedy, local residents pointed out the dangers of fireworks during drought conditions.
A nearby hiker, Darren Horowitz, reported smelling smoke near the point of origin an hour before the fire, but ignored it when the smell disappeared.
Another resident blamed New Year’s Eve revelers, saying: “You should know better. It’s dry. There was no rain… Then Santa Ana came on Monday, and that’s what started the fire again.”
While it remains uncertain whether the New Year’s Eve fire directly caused the Palisades fire, state and federal investigators continue to examine the burn scar area for clues.
