LA wildfires: Family pay tribute to man who ‘lived life to the fullest’ after his death in Palisades fire | US News

The family of a man killed in the Pacific Palisades fire has paid tribute to his “infectious smile and never-ending sense of humor”.

Meredith Mortimer, the niece of victim Charlie Mortimer, said her uncle “truly lived life to its fullest”.

In a statement issued to Sky News, she said: “He was a world traveller, a sun worshipper, and an avid sports fan. (He finally got to see his beloved Chicago Cubs win the World Series).”

LA wildfires latest: Fire chief issues warning over life-threatening winds

Charlie “will be remembered as a man with a quick wit, a brilliant mind, and a love for his family,” she continued. “His infectious smile and never ending sense of humor will be greatly missed by his friends and family all over the world.”

At least 24 people have died in the LA wildfires and 23 others are currently missing.

The victims also include Rory Sykes, a British-born former child star, who died after his mother was unable to save him from his burning cottage.

Three of the five blazes that began last week are still burning, though one – the Hurst fire – is now 97% contained.

The two biggest, the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, have not grown in two days thanks to the hard work of some 8,500 firefighters.

But officials have warned the “danger has not yet passed” as the strong winds which have helped the fires spread will be at their worst today.

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“Life-threatening, widespread and destructive winds are already here,” LA City fire chief Kristin Crowley said at a press conference today.

A total of 88,000 people remain under evacuation orders. Some forced to flee in the past week have been able to briefly return to their neighbourhoods in recent days – where many have found their homes and communities reduced to ashes.