Rory Callum Sykes, a British-born former child actor, has died in the wildfires that devastated California this week.

Sykes, who appeared in the Australian television series Kiddy KapersHe was at his family home in Malibu when he died at the age of 32.

The news was announced on X/Twitter by his mother, Shelley Sykes, who also starred in the 1998 reality series.

“It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes in the Malibu fires yesterday,” Shelley wrote.

Find live updates on the California fires here

Sykes was more recently known as a video game streamer and lived in Sydney, Australia before recently emigrating to the United States. He was born blind and with cerebral palsy; during an appearance on the Australian talk show Kerri Anne As a child, he and his mother discussed the surgeries he underwent to restore his vision.

His mother wrote that he was living in a cottage on his family’s large Malibu estate when the fires broke out.

“I couldn’t put out the ash on his roof with a hose because the water was shut off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water,” she wrote. “Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day.”

Shelley wrote that she was “broken” by her son’s death and described him as a “true humanitarian.”

“Rory was born blind with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking,” she wrote. “He has overcome so much through surgery and therapy to regain his sight and learn to walk. Despite the pain, he was still excited about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”

The Los Angeles fires broke out on Tuesday (January 7), killing at least 11 people, with the confirmed death toll expected to rise in the coming days. Sykes’ death is not yet included in the official figures.

The Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires are the most devastating in California history.

Actress Jennifer Garner is among those who lost someone in the fires.

“I lost a friend, and it’s very painful for our church, so I don’t feel like we should talk about her anymore,” the visibly emotional actor said while feeding evacuees with the nonprofit World Central Kitchen distributed. “I lost a friend who didn’t get out on time.”

“My heart bleeds for my friends,” she continued. “I mean, I can imagine 100 families and 5,000 homes lost. I could – without even thinking – just write down a list of 100 friends who have lost their homes.”