L.A. wildfire burnt grandfather to death after REFUSING to leave his home of over 50 years

An 83-year-old grandfather was found by his family amid the rubble and ash after the Eaton Fire raged through Altadena in Los Angeles. 

Five of at least 10 people killed by the blazes dIed in the Eaton Fire. 

One of those victims was Rodney Nickerson, who was discovered de@d in his bed on Thursday, Jan. 9, after his Altadena home was reduced to rubble and ash. 

As his daughter Kimiko Nickerson walked through what was left of her childhood home on Thursday, she said that the last thing her father said to her on the phone was ‘I’ll be here tomorrow.’

‘We found his bones, his whole body was intact,’ Kimiko said. 

Kimiko said her father Rodney insisted on staying in their family home that he purchased in 1968 for $5. The Nickerson family is deeply rooted in the Los Angeles community. 

Kimiko said her great-grandfather, William Nickerson was the founder and owner of Nickerson Gardens in Watts, the largest public housing development in Los Angeles. 

Rodney worked at Lockheed Martin for 45 years where he was a project engineer. 

Kimiko said her mother also worked at Lockheed. She said he was probably going to bed just after her last conversation with him around 9:30 p.m., as he was still used to waking up at 4 a.m. 

‘That was the last thing he verbally said to me was, “Ill be here tomorrow,'” she said.

‘My son tried to get him to leave, my neighbors and myself, and he said he’ll be fine…’

Another 66-year-old victim identified as Victor Shaw was found holding a hose after the flames ravaged his neighborhood. 

His sister, Shari Shaw, told CBS News that she thinks he tried to fight back the fire. 

More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed in the fires as strong winds fanned blazes in densely populated parts of the region.

Residents have described harrowing escapes and losing their homes, while photos show devastating scenes of properties reduced to charred debris.